Nirvatra

The Hunter & The Hunted

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Nirvatra

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Ackowledgments I AM BEYOND GRATFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. OUR BETA READERS Tangalayer Oates Lynee Harris Pat Hunter King David Gil Chasin Rodney Hunter Makeda Smith Sonia Lewis G. Warren Braitwaite Uzoma Wilkie Transcending Borders www.tborders.com for Business consulting

Dedication

This book is dedicated to: The Creator and all His children To my mom for always supporting my crazy projects.

To my sister for always yanking me up when I want to give up.

To my baby girl who always cheering me on and lifting my spirit.

To all my family who support me, thank you.

Contents How to enjoy this book Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Thank You

1 10 19 27 36 46 55 64 73 83 93 104 113 123 133 145 155 167 176 186 195 204 213 223 236

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Nirvatra The Hunter and The Hunted

Trilogy Book 1 April Thomas

All Rights Reserved Copyright 2022© No part of this book may be reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Prey Like a botanical garden in the midst of chaos, your body summons me, as my eyes gorge themselves of you, I know that this cannot be.

Your love, you carelessly throw on plants and animals you do not know, but for me, for me, you care not to show.

How is this right? When all that I have been taught tells me it is wrong.

Foolish to care, Foolish to feel, A love that blossoms strong.

Like a predator stalking his prey, I follow you through this miasma world, you see as a Nirvana.

This... veneer dimension, you hold so dear, in it I wait to capture you there.

Like a predator I will take down my prey, and adhere to my beliefs no matter the fear.

The opportunity has come and we stand face to face... lost in your beauty...somehow, I’ve fallen into your embrace.

The abyss of your love writhes me with pain. The abyss of your love...atavistic and pure...

Release me from your wretched hold; release me I beg, before I lose my cold...

Don’t let me slip deper into your love, for I know I will lose the things I’ve held above.

April Thomas

Chapter 1

Slaughter Harvest Swiftly she travels through the woods, scared to stop, and catch her breath. She has been running for what felt like hours. She had been doing all she could to outsmart her captors. She is aware that running back to her village would be a mistake. This is what they wanted; this is what they are hoping she will do.

Nalah is a Makah Nirvatran. Most Nirvatrans maintained a blue complexion. However, Nalah’s people could temporarily change their skin color to shades of purple and blue or replicate another’s skin tone. They rarely used this ability and maintained a vivid blue complexion like everyone else in their realm. They’re from a dying breed of Nirvatrans, fighting for the survival of their people. Nalah is also the daughter of the most respected spiritual leader of her village and surrounding villages.

She and others from her village were out on a hunt when she narrowly escaped Navah hunters who invaded her hunting camp. She knew these woods well; however, her enemy was determined to catch her. She knew what happened to the females they captured, and she did not intend to become one of their victims.

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Nirvatra The Navah people are known by the Nirvatrans as dark hearts; they lived a short distance from Nirvatra, inhabiting an entirely different realm. The atmosphere matched their hearts; cold, dark, and unloved. The rulers of that kingdom only cared about ego, wealth, vanity, and privilege. They would gladly kill their own mother if it granted them whatever their cold dark hearts desired.

The Navah natives hunted Nirvatrans. Not for any sort of profitable gain or use; it was all in the name of pure hate and to destroy what they could not understand.

They hated everything about the Nirvatrans. From The peaceful way they lived their lives; how they interacted with each other to mostly their unique glow...it was that glow that shone forth from their aura. It wasn’t the type of light you could see with the naked eye, it came from their spirit, and that enraged the Navah nation. They had to end it...stifle their light, and make them submit to their way of life or just die.

Her heart feeling as if it would burst, caused her to stop and find quick shelter behind a large tree. She did her best to catch her breath and remain quiet by listening to the woods around her for unfamiliar sounds. Her mind drifted to her brother and cousins who had been with her earlier. They all scattered at the first opportunity they could get. It was an entire decision. This lesson was taught long before they were ever allowed to wander out into the woods. They were all well-trained by their elders. Should any of them survive, then he or she would be the one to report back to the village once it appeared safe enough to return.

As long as they maintained their emotions and followed their training, everything would work out for the best. Nalah said a quick prayer to the Creator and

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April Thomas mentally prepared herself to continue on. Just as she was about to make her first move, she heard footsteps traveling on fallen leaves coming her way. And they were moving fast. Was it her brother or a cousin? She wanted to look but feared an enemy would see her. Who could this be?

How could she escape? Indeed, this person was running for his life. It had to be one of her relatives; she could tell by the sureness of their steps that they knew this forest very well. But so did many well-trained Navah hunters, she reminded herself.

Stepping out from behind the tree, she faced the on comer. Relieved yet startled, seeing that it was her brother being chased by a very aggressive Navah warrior. Her brother yanked her, forcing her to run in front of him and ahead of their enemy. Instinctively they began to run in a zigzag formation. Abruptly they came to a sudden stop at the edge of a jagged cliff. Dirt and rocks slipped off the cliff’s edge onto the sharp boulders’ miles below them.

“We should split; he can’t chase us both!” Nalah suggested, glancing back over her shoulder. He was coming, and he appeared to have no intention of stopping. Victory would soon be within his reach.

“You must get back to Papa,” he warned.

“Meet me by the river, on the other side,” Nalah demanded; they both raced off in the opposite direction of each other.

If it was one thing Kahlan hated more than a drawn-out chase, it was being outwitted by a Nirvatran. He has been chasing one of them for the past hour only to discover another...a female... a stunning female. Although, he only caught a glimpse of her beauty. An unmistakable seed

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Nirvatra had planted itself in the depths of his soul. The sensation caused an unrecognized sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Unfortunately, he would have to kill them both. It wasn’t the first time he chose to follow his orders over his desire.

He thought that maybe after killing the male, he could play with the female before he killed her too. But what will the others think of him degrading himself by being with such a low and despicable being? They weren’t worthy of respect or neither life.

They were almost in his grasp until he realized there was a strategy change. Why are they standing there? What are they planning? Quickening his pace, the excitement grew in his heart, knowing that this would soon be over.

He could return to his father and receive more respect and recognition for being a highly skilled hunter than just the royal prince. Suddenly seeing the cliff edge, he began to stop, cursing when they split in separate directions. Who should I follow? He thought, pausing for a moment.

Her lungs ached, but her body refused to give up. She knew that her brother was a skilled warrior, and this eased her worries. She ran for a while, finally realizing she was not the one he chose to chase, and panic-stricken her.

Could her brother make it? Could he outwit their enemy?

She slowed her pace, checking over her shoulders to ensure her original suspicion was correct. No one was there; she was alone and somewhat safe for now. Pain gripped her heart; she now feared for her brother more than before. What if he caught up to him? What if...the thought is too much to bear. She found her legs running back; she would not let her brother stand alone. Nalah had no plan; all she knew was that the hunter would not expect to be hunted.

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April Thomas He was fast and elusive, Kahlan noted. He admired his skill; however, it only made the chase more exciting. If only his body agreed, this would be a lot easier. He was fit, but today’s hunt was a more significant challenge than expected. The Nirvatrans are becoming wiser; they are more prepared than the ones in the past.

He cursed again, realizing that he had lost track of him once more; coming to a stop, he decided to catch his breath, clear his mind, and try to think like a Nirvatran.

“Where would I hide? What would I do?” He questioned himself.

Quickly he spun around at a noise behind him; Kahlan searched through the dense woods with his eyes.

Was someone lurking there? It was hard to hear over his pounding heart and heavy breathing.

A small animal quickly traveled out of the woods and across the short clearing. He chuckled to himself. “What am I afraid of? I am the hunter,” he boasted to himself.

Filled with ego and pride, he turned back toward his original direction. Deep down in his heart, he just wanted this to be over. The easy thing would be to give up, tell everyone that he killed his hunt, and be done with it, but the rules and requirements demand that he show proof of his kill, and the more severed heads, the better.

Nalah was grateful for the distraction. She silently scolded herself for making the noise that caused him to turn around. She rethought her plan, happy to see that her brother had eluded him. Maybe I’m overreacting, she thought. Of course, the opportunity of catching him off guard was just too much to pass up. She continued her pursuit, determined not to lose her brother to this beast.

An hour passed. Nalah had hoped he would have giv-

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Nirvatra en up by now, but he was relentless. Nalah admired his dedication, although it would be better used for a more meaningful purpose, not taking a life, especially not her brother’s.

The evening had fallen in Nirvatra. The sky dimmed, and a cool breeze gently glided through the woods. Soon everyone at camp will know that something is not correct. They all should have returned by now. Nalah worried about her people and what her father might do should he fear the worse for his children.

A sudden crash pulled her from her deep thoughts, demanding her attention. Her brother yelled out in pain; the enemy had found him. Nalah rushes towards them, swiftly grabbing a large rock from the ground. She uttered a war cry as she leaped into the air, slamming the jagged rock into her enemy’s head.

He yelled out in pain as blood flooded his face, blinding his sight. He swung at his unknown assailant, missing her with each swing. Nalah glanced down at her brother, noticing an arrow had pierced his shoulder.

“Can you run?!” she questioned him.

“Need to brake off this arrow, or it will get hooked in the woods,” he replied. She struggled to break it with her hands, but the wood was too strong. “Go save yourself!” he demanded.

“No, I’m not going home without you!”

“Nalah, please!” he insisted.

The enemy had regained his composure and was now coming towards them. Nalah was thrown aside by her

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April Thomas brother as he leaped to his feet. The two men fought aggressively, both skilled and determined to survive. Nalah searched the woods for a large wooden stick or another rock. She found something better, a small orange flower well known to her people as the sleeping flower. A small drop of the sap on your victim will render them useless for hours.

Carefully she picked a flower using a small patch of leather skin from her pouch. Her heartbeat steadied itself as she made her way back to the fight. The enemy was gaining over her brother. His back was turned to her, and she could see the sweat glistening on his skin. This was perfect; the sweat would only help the poison work faster. Quickly she crushed the flower in the leather cloth and attacked the enemy, smearing as much of the poison as possible onto his bare skin.

He turned and laughed at what appeared to be a failed attempt to harm him. “I must say you are one determined woman,” he stumbled backward, confused by his sudden weakness. “Wh-what did you do?” he murmured, falling to his knees.

She smiled, throwing down the leather and grabbing a knife that had fallen from her brother. “You will feel how determined I am!” she shouted, lunging towards him. She focused on his heart, making it her cherished target. As she ran towards him, she noticed something that caused her to fall to her knees before him. Her heart pounding loudly in her chest, her brother stared at her bewildered, and so did their enemy.

She stared at the center of his chest, speechless by what she saw, the knife still in her hand and her mouth agape.

“H-how...how could this be?” she murmured. Her mother’s words rang through her spirit. “You will know when

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Nirvatra you have found the one the Creator has sent for you...his heart will glow a fiery red; intense is his passion for you.”

“Do it!” her brother yelled. “Kill him, or he will kill us!”

Nalah looked at her brother and then back at their enemy; he slumped over to his side, passing out from the poison. “We must take him back; we must know all that he knows so that we can defeat all of our enemies,” she lied. However, it was a good lie. The tribe could benefit from any information they could get out of him.

“Is that what you saw?” her brother questioned.

“Y-yes,” she lied again, afraid to tell her brother the truth, ashamed by what she felt inside.

“Tie him up, and we will drag him back; you better pray that you are right about this, or his people could find our entire family and kill us all,” her brother warned.

Nalah couldn’t go through with it; she couldn’t allow her people to be killed because of what she saw. She looked to pass the woods out to the cliff edge. She would spend the rest of her life alone if she killed him now. But if she brought him to her people, she would risk losing everyone she loved.

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April Thomas

Chapter 2

Tribe

“I can’t bring harm to my people,” she murmured.

Nalah began shoving their enemy’s body toward the edge of the cliff.

“What are you doing?” her brother asked.

“We can’t take the risk,” Nalah answered, continuing to bring his body to the edge. She paused for a moment, taking one last look at him. “You cannot be who I need or want...this cannot be,” she said, slowly pushing him off the cliff. She couldn’t look; standing fully to her feet, she quickly returned to her brother’s side, focusing all her attention on his injuries. “How do you feel?”

I think I should ask you that.

“Nijah...our family comes before our enemies, not the other way around,” she realized he saw through her lies. Being twins caused them to have a much deeper bond than most siblings.

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Nirvatra “Nalah, I know what you just did, I’m not saying that your love for our people is not admirable, but I hope you are ready for the choice you’ve just made,” “What choice did I have...how could this even be? Given a chance, he would have killed us both. It was him or us, and he lost.”

“The Creator never makes a mistake,” Nijah groaned, standing to his feet with the help of his sister.

“We must get you home as soon as possible,” she ordered, leading her brother toward home.

It was not an easy hike back to their village, but tears of joy flooded their eyes when they arrived. Their parents were the first ones to approach them. Maneena, a spiritual leader of her people, quickly took hold of her son. Blood covered his back and chest, and his face was pale. Their father and respected war leader of the tribe helped his son into the healing hut. They guided him towards a wooden bed while his mother immediately began to mix herbs and chant healing prayers over her son.

“Nalah, what happened, and where are the others?”

Takka, her father, questioned while looking over his daughter for injuries.

“Our hunting camp was raided by the Navah,” she informed him; gasps traveled throughout the hut. “We all scattered like you taught us, father; I do not know what happened to the others.”

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April Thomas Takka stepped away, staring off into nothingness; he had to decide what to do next. Should he send out a search party or wait to see who else returns? Thinking of all in the hunting group, it was hard for him as a father to not do everything in his power to find them and bring them home no matter what. Although they were all young adults in his eyes, they were still the little children he helped to raise; something must be done; he refused to lose any of them. “Stay here; I will go speak to the chief,” “Father, wait...” Nijah called out in a weak voice.

“Yes, Son,” he answered.

“They plan to kill us all!” Nijah warned.

“No, it’s much worse than that,” his father replied, leaving the hut. Takka quickly made his way to the Chief’s hut; being cherished in the Chief’s eye, he did not need a special request to enter the Chief’s presence.

However startled by his abruptness, the Chief beside a friendly fire stared at him bewildered. “Takka, old friend, what troubles you?”

“The Navah have raided a small hunting group, and many of our children are missing. We need to gather our warriors and bring these children home,” he demanded.

“You trained them; they know how to hide until it is safe to return,” the Chief protested.

“I did not prepare them for what we will all be against,” he replied.

“And, what are we up against? Our warriors are pow-

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Nirvatra erful fighters, and our women are wise counselors,” the Chief returned.

“I do not have time to explain, please I am asking for your trust...old friend.” Takka ended up staring directly into the Chief’s eye, connecting with his heart.

The hut fell silent for a while, “Do what you need to do, but Takka... don’t let that disease grow; I see it taking hold of your heart,” the Chief warned.

Takka nodded before turning and leaving the hut. The Chief’s words still played in his mind. He told his people of the impending danger, asking them to prepare themselves. He then gathered some of his best trackers and warriors and kissed his wife and two children before leaving.

“Mama, what did Papa mean by it’s worse than that?

What can be worse than death?” Nalah questioned her mother, looking out of the healing hut entrance.

“I will tell you when the time is right; I need you to help me with your brother; he has lost too much blood,” her mother replied.

Nalah quickly helped her mother care for her brother.

Nijah was now fast asleep, the arrow was removed, and the healing had begun; however, it would be a while before he could fight adequately again.

“Nalah, I need you to go and collect the herbs from restocking our supplies,” her mother requested.

“Yes, Mama,”

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April Thomas “Be very careful, stay close, and don’t wander too far,” “Yes, Mama,” Nalah rushed off, grabbing a nearby large leather pouch to collect herbs. She found an odd excitement building up within her and could not yet understand where it could be coming from. They weren’t in a great position to be experiencing joy. Her brother barely made it back home alive. Under unfortunate circumstances, Nalah took someone else’s life for the first and hopefully the last time. A decision she would gladly make again to protect her people, of course. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had made the right choice. Maybe she should have followed through with her lie and brought him back to let the chef decide what to do with him instead of taking things into her own hands. What’s done is done, she thought, doing her best to settle her emotions.

“Why did he have to be so persistent? He should have just left us alone,” she grumbled. *** His breathing was shallow, and a puddle of blood formed around his body. If it had not been for the ledge, he would have fallen to his death. Her last words still lingered in his mind; although he could not move, his mind was fully aware of what had taken place. Her energy was hauntingly familiar and greatly missed. As he lay there floating in his subconscious, he thought of his life and the events that led up to what may be his slow and final end. Kahlan couldn’t understand the emotions swarming around him. His mind constantly drifted back to the beautiful, mysterious creature that pushed him off the cliff. How could he possess feelings for her, and what were these feelings? He thought, all baffled. Meanwhile, I’m lying here dying, and she has continued with her life without even glancing back. Does she have any feelings for me?

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Nirvatra If I survive this, I’m going after her. Kahlan made his final decision.

Life sprung back into him suddenly, and so did the pain. He thought about all the ones he inflicted pain on in the past and questioned himself; is this how they felt?

What if I don’t make it? What if I don’t survive this? Will anyone look for me? Would anyone care? Certainly not my people; maybe one day someone will come across the stench of my rotting flesh, he pondered. I need to try; I can’t just lay here and accept death. If I could just see her one more time to understand this emotion that is causing me way more pain than the physical hurt of the fall... then... I’ll kill her.

He groaned as he turned onto his side; surprisingly, no significant bones were broken. Cuts and gashes covered his arms and legs from the trees and branches that slowed his fall from the very start. He needed to find some way to bandage his wounds and stop them from bleeding. He slowly sat up as pain shot to the back of his head, where she had hit him with a stone. Reason number two is why she needed to die, he thought. Searching for something to help him to his feet, he took hold of a sturdy vine as his weak and wobbly legs struggled to find their footing.

Grumbling to himself becoming increasingly angry at each new thought. Kahlan pulled himself back up to the top of the cliff edge, deciding to take a moment to catch his breath and relax. How would he find her, and how would he approach her? Those are the thoughts that flooded his mind. He couldn’t walk into her village wearing his obviously Navah clothing. Kahlan stripped off all his clothes and threw them over the cliff’s edge along with his weapons, which were difficult to let go of.

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April Thomas He would have to fight with his bare hands or be killed if he should come under attack. But for some reason, this felt like a worthy risk in his heart. All along his way, he was finding edible fruits to feed on. He was amazed by discovering the healing benefits of the fruits. The bleeding stopped and his strength almost entirely renewed. Using large leaves and plant fibers, he fashioned for himself clothing to cover his nakedness. Survival here seemed a lot easier than back where he came from. Here everything is provided for you right at your fingertips. He found himself discovering a new feeling about this place. “Peace” was something he had heard of before from one of his victims; they begged for it repeatedly. Unfortunately, he had yet to learn what that was. And now, experiencing it firsthand made him feel remorseful for laughing in his victims’ faces disregarding their feelings, and missing the importance of what they were begging for.

He thought about the hidden agenda of the Navah.

It was essential to take over Nirvatra. The portals that lead to the human realm from Navah had all collapsed.

They did everything in their power to reopen them, but nothing worked. This new plan was their last resort, something they did not want to do. Although the Nirvatrans were simple people, they made fierce warriors if pushed to the edge. They fought more than just on a physical level. Something the Navah just did not want to deal with.

“I need to get out of this place; I don’t like these feelings, these thoughts,” he grumbled as he marched on, following the trail left behind by Nalah and her brother. He looked up into the sky, annoyed by the constant light. “Is it ever dark here?” he questioned himself. His body had grown weary once more, and he needed to

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Nirvatra stop for rest. The pain was returning, and his eyelids were becoming heavy.

Kahlan found a large tree to sleep under. He made a bed out of leaves and made himself comfortable, covering his body as he slept in case someone passed by. He slept for hours, which eventually turned into a day. When he awoke, he was startled to find himself covered with purple ants. All gathered around his wounds, he jumped up, fearing that they were eating him alive, and began to curse as he violently brushed them all off. He did not realize that they were eating away at the bacteria and infection that was in his open wounds.

Discovering a nearby river, he bathed and cleansed his wounds, finally noticing how much they had healed since he last checked on them. Again, the image of the beautiful stranger flooded his thoughts. Her long dark hair played in his memory. What is wrong with me? He thought. I hate her; she disgusts me, he continued. However, it felt like a lie. She captured his curiosity, and this both excited and angered him.

Making his way out of the river and onto the banks, he squeezed out the water from his long dark hair. What if she recognizes me? He pondered. I should cut it off, he concluded. He grew upset, remembering that he had thrown away all his weapons and had nothing to cut his hair with. He searched the forest until he came across the type of stone he was searching for, breaking the crystal-like rock into razor-sharp slabs, and using them to cut off his hair. Satisfied that she would not recognize him now, he washed again. Noticing that his wounds had healed and were no longer open but just fresh scars recovering faster than he had ever experienced. In his heart, a war had begun. Nirvatra had awoken a dormant

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April Thomas part of him that he never really understood and would cause him many problems at home. However, the Navah in him wants nothing to do with it and eagerly seeks a way to destroy all being awoken before it is too late.

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Nirvatra

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April Thomas

Chapter 3

Attraction What is it which attracts a young man to a young woman? Is it her hair, skin, perfume smell, or how she looks at you as if the universe would be better off without you in it, another question I will ask her before I end her life. He thought more to himself. Pushing me off of a cliff… and for what? What was her reason? What gave her the strength and the drive to do such a thing? Foolish, I thought her people were naive and... Well, let’s be honest… and completely stupid. Overly concerned with plants, animals, and all of the foolish things of nature comes this contemptuous beast, which decides to ruin my day by pushing me off a cliff.

Just wait. When I get my hands on her, she will regret the day she was born. I will not let her get away with this. I genuinely detest how anyone can live in such a place filled with annoying and disgusting creatures like her and her people. Our dimension will be bet-

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Nirvatra ter off once they are all gone. He had been ranting for hours about this topic, struggling with the emotions swarming around his cold and bitter heart. Kahlan wanted nothing more to do with her but found an odd spot profound within his heart, searching the deepest curiosities of life to understand her. As if she meant something more to him… but how?

Kahlan stopped and took a deep breath; a thrill filled his heart as the wind carried her scent toward him. He knew it all too well; deep in his cold heart, he yearned to smell her again, to be near her once more, even if she succeeded in killing him. How can I rid my thoughts of her? This is too much. I need to put an end to this once and for all. She does not deserve to live; she must pay, and her people too. Or maybe I can keep her as my pet and dissect her body, mind, and spirit as I understand what drives me to the edge of insanity concerning her.

He stopped in his tracks, spotting movement just a few feet ahead. A young woman was collecting flowers in the nearby woods. She seemed so deep in her own world and did not notice his creeping presence. His heart leaped as it was confirmed; it was her. Beautiful shoulder-length dreads hung loose, and her smooth blue skin, soft green eyes, and plump lips brought back the image of her face right before she tried to kill him.

Rage filled him again; the urge to push her from the highest cliff excited him.

Now is my chance, maybe my only chance to free me of her revolting way of intoxicating me. Time to put this all behind me and move on with my life, he thought.

Kahlan ducked behind some bushes as Nalah turned

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April Thomas in his direction. Lost in her tormenting thoughts, she did not sense the additional energy surrounding her. She debated returning to the spot where she pushed his body from off of the cliff. She thought it would only be respectable to mourn his death and give his spirit peace; seeking forgiveness would be proper.

Peace was something she craved more than anything.

How would she find peace? It wasn’t like her to do what she did. She fell to her knees in tears, “I had to do it,” she whispered, weeping.

Kahlan moved close enough to hear her sobbing. Oddly this pained him; he could not approach her now. Everything inside of him wanted to flee. He moved back deeper into the woods, unsure of his next move. However, now that he has found her, he can’t let her out of his sight. “I will wait for the best time to catch her off guard... confront her and put her out of my memory forever,” he settled.

It was not what he wanted in his heart, but he found it to be the only agreement to ease the darkness in his mind. Indeed, he tried to follow her every move to understand everything about her. What did she eat, what made her smile and whether anyone has her heart? He cursed himself once more, dreading his very own questions. “What is happening to me? Why do I feel this way?” he groaned. “Maybe she has put some spell on me?” he toiled, remembering his parents’ warning before sending him off on this dreadful mission. It was a great success until now, but everything seemed to be turning against him, including his mind.

She stood, and he observed as she leaned against a

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Nirvatra tree, muttering words he could not understand. “I knew it,” he whispered. “Dark temptress, designed in every way to lure men to their deaths...well, not this one...the last thing you will see is my face as I watch you fall off a cliff. You won’t be so lucky,” he promised.

Nalah finished collecting the herbs her mother needed and returned to her people, unaware of who was following her. So deep in her hidden pain, she closed herself off from many of her senses and focused on helping her brother and mother. As she lay in bed tossing and turning, all she could think about was that brutal act.

The only thought that brought her peace was making the firm decision that she would return to the spot where she pushed her enemy off the cliff and pay homage. She would ask his spirit for forgiveness even if he didn’t deserve it. It was not her way to take a life; she could have simply left him there for the Creator to decide what was best for him. She was not raised to handle such matters in her own hands. Her brother and she were no longer in imminent danger. The poison had done its job. Their enemy was no longer a threat.

Sleep finally came to her eyes as she drifted into a restful existence. In the morning, she would confront her mother, tell her what she had done, and leave to do what she could to repair the damage she caused to her own being.

She rose earlier that morning, packed her bags, and sought out a private counsel with her mother. Nalah quietly walked into her parent’s hut. Her father had yet to return from his mission. Her mother slept peacefully, so she felt remorseful about waking her. “Mama,” she whispered.

“Nalah, what torments you, daughter?” her mother

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April Thomas questioned upon waking. Maneena shifted her weight as she leaned in bed to speak with her daughter. “Tell me, you have not been the same since you returned.”

“Mama, I did something I never thought I could do, and I don’t know if I did the right thing?”

“What does your heart say?”

“That I made a mistake; I took something into my own hands that is bigger than me,” Nalah sighed. “But, I did it for my people, I had to, or we would all be in danger,” she tried to rationalize.

“You are old enough to know what is right from what is wrong; if your heart is telling you that you are wrong, then you need to do what you can to seek healing and redemption so that you don’t carry this onto your children,” her mother advised.

“My children...” she trailed off, killing her soul mate.

She wasn’t sure she would ever have children.

“Tell me what you did, Nalah?” her mother pressed gently.

“I will tell you when I return...I need to go,” Nalah answered, too ashamed to tell her mother everything.

“Where are you going?”

“To seek forgiveness,” Nalah answered, recollecting herself.

“How long will you be?”

“I’m not sure, but I will do my best to return as soon

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Nirvatra as I can,” “It’s dangerous out there; you shouldn’t leave right now.

The Navah, they are hunting us now,” Maneena protested.

“I have weapons, Mama. We know this forest better than they do,” she returned.

Maneena sighed; she knew once her daughter made up her mind, nothing would stop her, especially in a matter like this. Nalah was greatly troubled and knew better than to stop her from correcting a mistake. “I know I cannot make you stay; just be careful, you are my only daughter, and I don’t want to lose you.”

“I will; if Papa returns before me, please tell him...” she had no clue what to tell her father; if he were home, she would not be able to leave so easily, at least not without him.

“Just go and hurry, be very mindful of your surroundings,” her mother replied.

Nalah kissed her mother goodbye and left the hut quickly. It would take a two day journey for her to return to the cliff. On her way, she would need to collect certain flowers to perform the forgiveness ceremony. Although she felt uneasy about leaving the safety of her village, she felt her heart lighten with the reassurance that she was doing the right thing by seeking forgiveness.

As she started her journey, she thought about the dark stranger. Although they barely said anything to each other, she felt as if they had met before. Maybe in another life, or perhaps he reminded her of someone. But more importantly, why was it that he was the one that was meant

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April Thomas for her. How could this be? How could someone who is an enemy of her people be the very one that was chosen for her? Something had to be wrong; a universal mistake had to be made concerning them. However, the universe never makes mistakes.

She walked for a few hours before coming to a rest by a cool stream of water. Resting her stuff on the banks, she decided to take a quick dip in the soothing waters. It was hard to resist. She took off most of her clothing, leaving just a breechcloth. Easing into the water, she smiled playfully, enjoying the abrupt coldness of the water. As her body settled, adapting to the water’s temperature, she relaxed. Laying back in the water, she let loose her long dark hair and became one with her surroundings.

Her senses reached out, greeting all of nature’s blessings. The spirits of the plants and animals nearby came to greet her, whispering words of wisdom and knowledge, granting her an understanding of life and the universe. This is how the Nirvatrans learned about life, healing, and death. This was how they understood the universe and the laws of life and nature.

She sunk deeper into her teachings when suddenly, a warning from a nearby animal spirit of the sky spoke these words to her soul. “He is watching,” he warned.

Nalah jumped up, searching around her for a person or whatever was watching her but saw no one. Feeling uneasy, she quickly made her way out of the stream and back to where she had placed her stuff. Upon reaching the bank, she noticed her things had been messed with.

Her bag had been searched through. “Is anyone there?” she questioned, grabbing her top to cover her bare chest.

Although she could sense that someone was hiding, she could not understand if they were a friend or foes. His presence was familiar, however, unsettling. She quickly

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Nirvatra gathered her stuff, placing her items back in her sack, realizing that some food had been taken. She relaxed slightly; maybe it was just a hungry animal, she thought.

As she stood, she gasped, observing a large footprint.

Obviously, it was not an animal; this footprint belonged to a man.

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April Thomas

Chapter 4

Watcher She debated for some time whether it was wise to continue her journey. Indeed, someone had seen her and could still be nearby. Nalah didn’t feel like she was in any serious danger, but she also didn’t clearly understand what she was feeling. Her mother’s advice came back to mind. Unconsciously she nodded in agreement, I must stay present in my surroundings with the Navah lurking around, and you never know what might happen, she thought. She glanced down once more at the footprint and pondered whether he would try to follow me back to my people or wanted something from me.

The right move was to decide to stick to her original plan and not let anything or anyone deter her. Besides, if he were following her, she would not make things easy for him and allow him to bring harm to her people. *** Turquoise blue eyes glowed as they peered through

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Nirvatra the tree branches. What is she doing? Why is she leaving her people, and alone no less, he pondered as he glared down at her.

Someone has to watch over her; I can’t believe they would let her walk away on her own like that. He summed up, carefully making his decline from his high perch. Nalah’s actions confused him, causing him to become even more curious about everything about her.

Watching her Bathe in the stream was more than he could bear; finding himself lusting over her was not what he expected. It was like sitting in a botanical garden; her being engulfed him, pulling him closer to her.

He bemoaned his emotions; this was not his purpose as he set out to pursue her. Kahlan carefully maintained his distance from her knowing she was now aware of being followed. He watched as she gathered her belongings, had he more control over his hunger, he would have left her leather sack untouched.

The hunger pains were gone, and that was all that mattered. Hunting now would only bring attention to him, she would have to be his source of food until he revealed himself, and by then, there would be no further use for her.

He watched as she continued her journey. Stealthily he followed behind, using all of his hunting abilities to remain unnoticed by her. Traveling through a mire atmosphere filled with the things she seems to admire and love. Kahlan watched her intently as she stopped lovingly to speak with playful animals, exotic plants, trees, and birds. “Was she on some sort of air-headed stroll through nature, or is there an actual destination to

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April Thomas this atavistic world?” he grumbled.

He observed that it had grown late in the evening as she set up camp for the night. Making a comfortable bed and wrapping herself in detailed leather skins for warmth. As she drifted to sleep, the surrounding nature seemed to cater to her every need. Occasionally a night owl would circle through, warning her when he got too close. Deer and smaller creatures slept around her camp as if there were no other place they would rather be.

This intrigued Kahlan; he had never seen such a thing in his life. What power did she have over nature to make the surroundings bend to her will? Or did they choose to do so on their own? She was fast asleep; even he could feel her energy now. It seems to be seeping into his spirit again, drawing him into her presence. If it were not for the eyes of the watchful owl, he would have been closer.

He would sit close to her warmth and breathe her in. His spirit wanted to understand her, know her...consume her presence.

“What beast is this? Her magic is killing me. I should return home, escape her insidious hold,” he murmured.

“What am I doing?” he turned to look about his surroundings. “This is madness; I should just end her life right now.” He returned his now glowing turquoise eyes back toward Nalah. Her beauty took him in once more.

The morning had arisen, and she woke quickly; like a sylph, she gracefully performed her morning rituals.

Her simple morning task of methodically brushing her skin with fragrant flowers and subbing herself down with clay was alluring to him. Again, he found himself thinking of what it would be like to know her, to be in her presence. For her to have eyes for only him and not the ones he last remembered before she shoved him off the

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Nirvatra cliff.

He looked away as she exited the river; it didn’t feel right to peer upon her nakedness, although he had no problem doing so the day before. Giving her a moment to dress, his mind drifted off to random thoughts concerning her. It turned into fantasies when he was abruptly stricken with a painful scream. It was her scream; Kahlan looked down from the nearby tree where he was perched to see his people surrounding Nalah. An arrow was pierced through her shoulder, and she fell to the ground, vulnerable to future attacks.

His heart pounded loudly in his chest; he knew what would be her fate now. He accurately took a mental note of the situation. Where each Navah warrior stood and how many could be soon to follow. He didn’t have a plan when he leaped from his perch, landing directly in front of her. No weapons were in his possession, and he was not wearing his traditional Navah regalia. He was now against ten relentless Navah warriors who did not fully recognize him.

They looked at him oddly, his skin matched their own, and his face seemed familiar, but they could not place him as one of their own. The last thing a Navah would do is revert back to being a Nirvatran. They began to attack him two at a time. He fought skillfully, slaughtering and mortally wounding as quickly as he could. It came down to the last one, who now hovered over Nalah; she fought with him despite her pain and blood loss. She had grown frail, and her fighting had become sluggish. Kahlan knew he didn’t have much time. He had to do something, or she would die.

He hissed at his opponent, getting his attention. Nalah

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April Thomas now lay limp in her enemy’s arms; Kahlan feared the worst; in a blind rage, he attacked his enemy, killing him instantly with his bare hands. He looked around for anyone else who may have been hiding, releasing a deafening roar he aimed to provoke anyone who dared to cross him. Realizing it was over, he returned his attention to Nalah; pain ripped at his chest as he knelt beside her.

“No,” he whispered fearfully; he leaned over her limp body, searching for any signs of life. He looked at the arrow sticking out of her shoulder and grew angry when he noticed the traces of poison still on it. Instinctively he picked her up. Tears spilled from his eyes. Even in death, she was beautiful. He walked into the river traveling deep until the water was above his waist. Remembering how the water had healed him, he hoped it would do the same for her. Balancing himself on one leg and her with his thigh, he broke the arrow and pulled both ends from her body. She winced in pain, and this brought back joy to his heart.

“It’s okay; you’re going to be okay,” he whispered. He held her body beneath the water while lovingly washing the blood, dirt, and sweat from her face and hair. A sound was heard behind him, and he was startled. Holding her close, he moved quickly to the opposite side of the riverbank and made a hasty exit. Pausing to hide behind a tree, he looked back to see what had caused the noise that startled him. Another Navah warrior happened to come across a horrific scene of his dead warriors scattered throughout the area. He looked across the riverbank, searching for the ones who got away.

Kahlan ducked behind the tree; he was in no condition to fight another warrior. He listened quietly to hear if the warrior would enter the water and cross onto the bank. It was quiet for some time. Once more, he looked

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Nirvatra back, but the intruder had left. He was sure he would be back with more warriors. Nalah groaned weakly as she shivered. He needed to get them somewhere safe and nurse her back to health before she slipped deeper into the darkness.

He traveled with her in his arms for what felt like hours. He had yet to learn where he was heading more deeply into the forest. He found an abandoned cave with a naturally hidden entrance. This would have to do it for tonight; he would do his best to stay awake and alert of anyone approaching the cave. Placing her near the cave entrance, he entered and quickly made a fire and bed out of dead leaves. He brought her in and placed her gently on the bed near the warm fire. Finding larger leaves to cover her shivering body was challenging, and he feared it was not enough. There was no choice but to lie beside her and warm her with his own body heat the best he could. *** Takka entered his hut feeling a mix of conflicting emotions; he had returned from his mission somewhat successful. They had recovered as many of the missing young hunters as they could find. A few had been slaughtered, and it tore his heart that he could not have rescued them sooner. The first thing he wanted to see was his wife and children. Knowing that his son was on his way to a full recovery and holding his precious daughter would heal his pain.

“Maneena,” he called out to his wife, who was busy tending to their son.

“My love, you’ve returned,” she greeted, happy yet nervous to see her husband.

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April Thomas “How is he?” Takka questioned after hugging and kissing his wife.

“He is strong like his father; he’s recovering quickly,” she smiled.

“Thanks to the Creator, and where is my little Maneena,” he smiled, looking around for signs of his daughter.

“My love, we need to talk,” Maneena spoke nervously.

“Sure, I just need to see my daughter, my love,” he smiled at his wife.

“That’s what we need to speak about...”

“What...”

“She did something that caused her spirit distress, and she needed to seek forgiveness,” Maneena informed him, knowing he would explode in anger.

“What are you telling me, Maneena?” he shouted.

“Takka is a woman now; she has to do what is right, we raised her right, and she has to do this.” Maneena struggled to reason with him. Takka had already begun to make strides across the hut floor to the exit; he had to find his daughter; he knew of the danger lurking.

“Please, Takka, don’t be angry with me!” she begged, crumpling to the floor. He paused at the hut entrance; his heart sank at his wife’s words; he loved her more than life itself. He knew she was following her spiritual instincts and holding back the protective mother inside.

He turned back towards his wife and lifted her from the

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Nirvatra floor. “My heart aches for you...do you know this?” he questioned, making eye contact with her. “I know that you have to struggle between being a mother and a spiritual leader, and at times it is difficult. But our little girl is out there and possibly in danger. Yes, we raised a very bright and fearless woman...but I’m her father; my job is to protect her even when she thinks she can protect herself.”

“I’m sorry, I should have made her stay; it’s just the look in her eyes, the pain and torment I felt radiating off of her were more than I could decipher. It felt wrong to stop her... it felt wrong to not let her follow her heart.”

“Stay here, my love, and watch our son; I will go and bring her back. She may be a woman, but we will always be her parents.”

Maneena nodded tearfully as her husband gently placed her feet back on the ground. “My heart aches for you, too” she kissed his lips as he embraced her.

“I will return shortly,” he kissed her once more on her forehead before leaving.

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April Thomas

Chapter 5

Abrade Rapture...rapture...the best way to describe the experience of unknowingly sleeping in the arms of love.

Your face is gently pressed against his firm chest, and your heart matches his heart’s rhythms. Rapture...the only sensation you can relate to in this way. There is no amatory pleasure, stress, or demands, just simple and pure love.

Slowly she opened her eyes, confused by what she was experiencing. It brought back a peaceful memory of when she was a small child stricken with a terrible fever. Her parents fussed over her day and night, taking turns caring for her. She remembered waking one morning in her father’s arms as she lay peacefully on his chest. This experience was similar to that, yet somehow very different.

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Nirvatra “Papa?” she whispered in a questioning tone. No reply was given; only soft breathing was heard as the handsome stranger slept. Instantly she became alarmed.

Who is this, and where am I? She questioned herself.

Her senses strengthen, and her pulse quickens. What happened, why am I here, and who is this person holding me? Her mind rambled on, but her body did not move.

Mentally she checked to make sure she was clothed.

There were no signs of the violation; however, tattered her clothes felt everything was intact, including her purity. Something she held dear. As her physical senses came to life, she slowly tried to move her arm, only to cry out in severe pain.

He jumped, clutching her tighter before fully waking and sitting her up to look over her wounds. “Don’t move; stay here while I get you some water,” he rushed off without introducing himself. However, the pain was unbearable, and she blacked out again...

Kahlan returns moments later. He was alarmed to see her motionless. Quickly, he knelt beside her, pulling her into his arms. He held a sizeable hollowed-out nutshell filled with water. He brought it to her lips, slowly dripping water into her mouth until she began drinking alone. She eagerly swallows the contents of the shell.

“Ants,” she whispered.

“Ants,” he repeated, looking around her to see if ants were biting her.

“I need ants...” she spoke weakly.

She must be hungry, he thought, finding her request strange. However, he obediently left, returning with a

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April Thomas long stick covered in ants. “I have the ants,” he stated, unsure what to do next.

“Put them on my wound,” she whispered.

Again, he hesitated but followed her instruction. The ants crawled directly to her wound and began to eat away at dead flesh and bacteria. Kahlan was amazed; although it hurt her, she tolerated the pain until the wound had become numb. The ants continued to work their way through her entire wound. When finished, they neatly crawled out the opposite end of the injury.

They walked away, finding a new settlement within the cave.

The ants helped immensely by eating away at the infection in her wound. Her healthy blue color was returning, and Kahlan was beginning to enjoy a sense of relief. He chuckled to himself, thinking of the unusual turn of events. He set out to kill her for trying to kill him despite her valid reasons, and now he would give up his life in a heartbeat to spear hers, even if it were just for a moment. What magic is this? What sort of wicked hold did she have over him? He leaned against the cave walls while sitting on the ground. Kahlan watched over her content to be in her presence. Days passed as her body healed. He would leave only to hunt, bringing her backwater and food to strengthen her. Occasionally she would request certain plants and flowers to place on her wounds and some to eat. It took a whole week for her to recover from the severity of the injuries. She was now able to stay fully conscious. They sat around a warm fire, quietly enjoying dinner.

Nalah cleared her throat nervously. It captured his

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Nirvatra attention. “I want to thank you for rescuing me,” she spoke, looking across the fire into his eyes.

He blushed, “Really, it was nothing.”

“Nothing, I wouldn’t call what you did nothing...

Where are you from? Where’s your village?” she asked.

It was a question that loomed over her for days, but she was afraid of his answer. His pale green skin had to be Navah. Yet, nothing else about him supported that.

There was a strange tattoo on the back of his neck that she had never seen before. She waited patiently for his answer, realizing it had made him uncomfortable.

He was only partially prepared to answer such a question. For days he struggled over how he would answer these questions and if he should be candid. The anger he once held was either gone or too weak to be noticed by even him. All that mattered was her well-being.

“I’m lost; my people are not from around here,” he finally answered, giving her a partially truthful answer.

“Lost, I’m sorry maybe I can help you get back to your people; I’m sure they are worried about you,” she offered.

“Ah, well, I’m not sure...” he paused, unsure how to answer. He was lost, but not sure if he wanted to be found. Maybe they would just accept that he was killed and find a new hire for the throne when his father dies.

It’s not such a bad idea to spearing him a dreadful marriage to his betrothed. “Being lost is not so bad,” he said, breaking his silence.

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April Thomas “Running away, is that what you are doing?”

“Let’s just say things happen for a reason,” he ended, staring over the fire into her soul.

She felt a shiver run over her skin and up her spine, causing her a delightful sensation never felt before.

“Are you cold?” he questioned, placing the large leaf holding his food down and moving to the other side of the fire to sit beside her. He noticed her shiver and was instantly concerned. “You should still take things slowly; your body has a lot of healing to do. That poison could have killed you.”

“Poison!” she remembered the reason for her being out there. She was remorseful about not doing all she could to get back on track to perform her forgiveness ceremony. Maybe this was the Universe’s way of making her pay for her sin.

“Everything okay?” he observed her sudden distance.

“Yes, just... I need to finish what I set out to do.”

“Why are you out here all alone? It’s dangerous right now.”

“It was essential...a worthy risk,” was all she would say concerning her reason.

“Nothing is worth risking your life for...not yours, at least,” he trailed off.

She heard his words and hid her blushing. She ad-

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Nirvatra mired his kindness towards her and how he took care of her. Nalah felt safe around him and was curious about his interest in her.

“Why did you rescue me? You could have been killed,” she questioned.

“I couldn’t just sit there and watch...”

“How did you...” she remembered sensing someone close by but unable to read their intentions towards her.

“Were you the one who took food from my bag?”

Embarrassment flooded his spirit; he could not lie, yet feared he would scare her off. “I’m sorry, I was so hungry and....”

“Thank you... Thank you for being there when I needed to be rescued. I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she interrupted. She did not need an explanation, seeing it as the Universe sending her help before she even knew she was in danger. “The Creator always cares for his children,” she ended.

“Creator?” he questioned, unaware of what she was speaking of.

“I’m sorry, maybe your people have another name for The Supreme Being?” she suggested, but he looked at her with a blank and confused stare. “What do your people believe in...? What’s your creation story?”

“Creation story...?” he pondered her question for some time. The Navah people didn’t have a creation story or any divine understanding of how they came to be. It was known that they were once Nirvatrans, but spiritual and

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April Thomas religious beliefs had been a band since before he was born. The wise ones of his people simply taught that it was just a random chance that they came to be. However, he worried about explaining this to Nalah, fearing she would soon discover who he indeed was. “I really don’t know if we have one.”

Nalah laughed, smiling, “It’s okay; it’s not for everyone, I suppose.”

“I’m sure we have one; it’s just...”

“You’re not a believer?” she questioned, her brilliant green eyes widening.

“Nooo...yea, it’s just hard for me to wrap my head around it.”

“Well, what confuses you?”

“We just...I just don’t see things the same way,” he answered, becoming uncomfortable.

Nalah felt his uneasiness and decided to drop the subject for now. She was grateful for all his help, regardless of his personal beliefs. “I can help you get back home...if you like?”

“It’s okay; I can figure it out eventually,” he smiled.

“In my village, when someone saves your life, you are indebted to them,” she replied. “It would be my honor to help you get back to your people.”

“I was not looking for any reward when I jumped in to

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Nirvatra protect you...I just didn’t want them to...” he paused, taking a deep breath. The image of her lifeless body in his arms came back to him. It was an unpleasant memory he would love to forget.

“It means a lot to me...and my parents. I’m their only daughter,” she stated.

“Still, I was not searching for a reward,” he insisted.

A cold breeze blew through the cave, causing them both to shiver, “The nights get cold around this time,” she said, looking around to find things that would keep them warm.

Kahlan thought about the past few nights when he kept her warm with his body heat; he savored every moment of holding her close. She slept peacefully in his arms. He thought of suggesting it once more but worried she might take it wrong. She’s much stronger now, and his reason would sound weak. “I will go look for more leaves or something; I will be back,” he informed her getting up and leaving the cave.

It was not what her heart wanted to hear, but she would not demean herself by suggesting he keep her warm as he did before. It would be wrong and send a deplorable message on her part. She sighed, slightly frustrated by her thoughts. She decided to clean up the remnants of dinner, with her hands filled with rolled-up leaves holding the remainder of dinner. She made her way outside to leave the leftovers for the small animals. The cave was darker than the Nirvatran night sky, and temporary blindness caused her to stumble and trip over something warm and firm on the ground.

Since her body was still somewhat weak, her head quick-

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April Thomas ly spun as the pain of her healing wounds ached. She groaned as she slowly sat up, shielding her eyes from the evening sky. She gasped when she discovered what she had tripped over. It was her rescuer, unconscious with a head injury. Before Nalah could reach out to him, someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her to the ground.

He spoke Navah, which was a broken form of Nirvatran.

She struggled to see who was restraining her and how many were present. Nalah counted at least eight, and they were indeed Navah. She wasn’t strong enough to fight them off and could not leave behind the one who valiantly saved her life. Nalah cursed herself for not getting his name. A whole week had passed, and it never crossed her mind to ask his name. She stared at him, praying he would wake; in her heart, she called out to him, begging him to answer her.

Suddenly his eyes opened, looking directly at her. She smiled, happy to see that he had awoken. He leaped to his feet to disband her attacker when he was ambushed.

Nalah screamed in horror, fighting to free herself when knocked unconscious. The last words she heard were his, shouting in Navah.

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Nirvatra

Chapter 6

Betrothed In separate dark large wooden boxes, they were carried through the woods, leaving the boundary and the realm of Nirvatra, and going into Navah. Nirvatra is a place filled with light and love. Bordered its opposite, where it was cold, dark, and filled with apathy. The people of this realm were raised to see their hearts as the only muscle to sustain life, and the brain brought logic. Understanding what stems from the soul, according to Nirvatran beliefs, was a ridiculous notion.

This is why love was just an empty word, followed by the understanding that it was a deadly brain disease.

Days later, they came to their final stop at the Kingdom of Navah. The wooden cages were carried up the elaborate stone stairway before Pandu and the Queen of Navah. The warriors stood back and waited for Pandu’s orders.

“Explain what you have discovered to me,” Pandu spoke to the Navah war leader named Ian. “Your highness, a group of my men found a Nirva-

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April Thomas tran female alone, they proceeded to capture her only to come under the attack of a madman,” he began nodding his head towards his left where Kahlan’s cage sat.

He slaughtered nine of our men, one survived until a few days ago. He informed us that the man who attacked them took the female and did some questionable things with the woman. When another warrior came, he carried the woman across the river and disappeared into the woods. We then tracked his steps. And after a week, we came across their hiding place.” Ian paused, unsure if he genuinely wanted to reveal all he discovered to Pandu; however, he had no choice.

“Continue...” Pandu snapped, frustrated by his delay.

“Your highness, we discovered that the attacker is the royal prince,” “What?” Pandu jumped to his feet. “Open the cage!” he ordered.

Without hesitation, they broke the locks releasing the thick wooden door, which fell with a dramatic thud to the floor. Two men stepped inside and led Kahlan out in thick metal chains. Pandu stepped down from his throne and approached his son, walking around him dumbfounded by what he had learned. He was horrified to see his son dressed in just a breechcloth made of leaves. His bare skin was exposed to their world’s cold and harsh elements; somehow, the wooden box had helped keep him from freezing to death.

“Kahlan, is this true?” Pandu asked.

“He has the sickness, your Highness,” Ian spoke.

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Nirvatra “I am speaking to my son!” Pandu snarled. “Kahlan, speak!”

Kahlan searched his mind for a logical reason why he did what he did but could not. A lump formed in his throat; so much had changed in a short amount of time. He was not the same person who left on this mission just a few weeks ago when they set out to discover portals into the human realm while enjoying the Slaughter Harvest. Foreign feelings and emotions to him had taken over his body and mind. And he was now in a situation he was not prepared for. However, what upset him the most was knowing that everything he now held dear was in danger. If they had not killed her already, her life would end soon. He opened his mouth to give his father some sort of answer, but no sound came out.

“Your highness,” Ian called; Kahlan breathed relief at the interruption. “Maybe, we should present to you the one who holds his tongue?” Kahlan turned his full attention to the war leader, his eyes turning to a deathly cold steel blue as he glared at him.

Pandu noted his son’s reaction,” open it!” he demanded.

The large wooden box was opened, and Nalah was brought out. She grunted as she fought with her captors. It pained Kahlan to see her this way, realizing his father was watching him straighten up, doing his best to bring on a cold demeanor, hoping it would somehow spear her life.

His father now stood before him yet directed his question to the war leader. “They were together?”

“Yes, your highness,” Ian answered.

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April Thomas Kahlan knew what would happen next and struggled to find a reason for what would now be regarded as his insanity. He feared what he would do if anything happened to her...he refused to think any further.

“What is she to you?” his father shouted.

“I do not even know her name,” Kahlan finally spoke; it was, however, the truth. He was so caught up in her recovery he could not get her to stay awake long enough to hold a basic conversation. Eventually, he didn’t think about asking for her name.

“And, yet you nurse her back to health like a little pet,” his father chuckled, and the surrounding crowd joined in with his laughter. Kahlan was not amused. “Do you want a pet?

Is that what this is about?!”

Kahlan had no clue how to answer that question; in Navah, parents would let their child bond with a pet only to make the child watch as they killed them later. If he said yes, he would lose the only person that awakened his heart, and If he said no, she would be killed right there on the spot.

“Answer me!”

There was no answer Kahlan could give that would spear her life. Again, his mouth opened but no sound escaped.

“If the boy wants a pet, then let him have one,” The queen stood, stepping down from her throne and approaching her husband’s side. “This could be amusing; the first weeks of marriage are stressful, and his new bride will need a slave to assist her...After then, there should be no further use for a child’s pet.” Pandu glanced at his queen, and a sly

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Nirvatra smile grew on both their faces.

“I love how you think, so entertaining...so Mm,” Pandu remarked. “We will move the wedding date up; I, of course, would love to see your future bride’s reaction when you show her your pet,” he laughed wickedly. “Take that thing, chain her up in Kahlan’s quarters; his pet, his mess...let him deal with it.” Pandu took hold of his wife’s hand, led her back to her throne, then took his seat. He watched as Kahlan and his pet were carried away. *** Takka stood on the riverbank. Gripped in his left hand was his daughter’s leather sack. Although there were no bodies, he could still tell a scuffle had taken place. He instantly feared the worse. He had to head back and gather a tracking team to help rescue his daughter if she was still alive, and this was something only his wife would be able to sense. ***

Kahlan stood stoically in front of Nalah while waiting for the guards to leave. As soon as they were out of the room and far from earshot. He slumped his shoulders, and his eyes softened. “I must get you out of here; they will kill you,” he began. “Are you alright?” he asked looking up at the chains that secured her.

“You are one of them...” the words fell from her mouth with heart-wrenching thuds in his heart.

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April Thomas “I... I’m sorry...” he did not know what he could say to erase the painful expression on her face.

“Why did you save me? Why didn’t you just kill me or let me die?” she questioned, confused by his actions.

“I didn’t realize what I was doing until...I couldn’t watch them hurt you,” he replied.

“Or am I just your pet, like your...father.... you’re the prince of this awful place?”

“I... please understand, it’s not what you...well...damn, what’s your name,” he grunted in frustration.

“Why should I tell you my name...I shouldn’t even trust you,” Nalah answered.

“I...I don’t deserve your trust. However, I will do all I can to earn it,” he returned, wanting to place a gentle hand on her bruised cheek. Passion and love were growing in his heart despite the danger he knew it would put them both in.

“Earn, it...well, you’re doing a great job so far,” she remarked sarcastically.

“My name is Kahlan... hello,” he placed a handout for her to shake.

Nalah looked down at his hand, disgusted by him; her arms were pinned behind her back; it didn’t matter. Even if they were free, she wouldn’t have shaken his hand. She spits in his palm, then turns her head away from him.

“I understand...” He said, stepping away to wash his hands in a nearby water basin. He deserved that, and he

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Nirvatra knew it. Right now, he needed to find a way to get her out of Navah; his parents would soon grow bored of this soap opera and do away with her. “You must be hungry?”

Nalah moved into a dark corner; facing the wall she curled herself up into a ball and blocked him out of her world. For the next few days, she mourned her family, her life, and the feelings she secretly held for a deceitful stranger. He did everything to try and get her to eat and speak with him, but she would barely look him in the face.

His wedding date had been moved up, and soon he would be married. Nalah wanted to escape the hell and torment she was enduring and prayed for death to take her. She cried most days when he was forced to leave her, which was often she would be beaten severely by his guards. She was verbally abused by his parents, and although she had not met his bride as yet, she happily sent her servants to beat and laugh at her. Nalah had become numb, and her heart was growing bitter. The Nirvatran spirit in her knew that she had to leave; she had to find her way out before it was too late. She refused to be an audience to his wedding or his wedding night. Despite his many failed attempts to free her, being restrained to a wall in his room, she knew she would have to take things into her own hands. It was time to strengthen herself and make her escape.

“Kahlan,” she called out weakly. He leaped from his bed rushing to her side, happy that she has finally spoken to him. “I’m hungry, please.”

“Yes, anything,” he said, leaving the room. He returned moments later with a bowl of stew. He sat in front of her and fed her slowly until she was full. He left again, returning with a basin of warm water and clean cloth. He

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April Thomas lovingly and carefully cleaned her face, arms, legs, and feet. She cried; his touches were filled with love. And it was hard for her to understand how he could carry such a loving touch while coming from an odious place overpopulated with pernicious people.

He kissed the tops of her feet, “I know that you don’t want to hear this, but I am sorry.”

“I don’t understand how you’re out there fighting; you’re so brave; yet here amongst your own, you are a coward... which one are you?” Nalah cried.

The words hit him hard; she was right. It was easy for him to do what was expected of him when fighting, yet with his own people, he was weak. They emasculated him without him even feeling it. “I don’t know...” he sighed; he couldn’t find the words to oppose her judgment of him.

Nalah pushed herself back into a corner and wept; she needed to be free and did not know how to escape him or his people. Hearing her sobs was more than he could bear. It was late at night; no one would be entering his room. It was his only chance to console her without anyone seeing him.

Cautiously he moved closer to her, expecting her to fight him, but she did not. Slowly he placed an arm around her, gently pulling her into the warmth of his arms. He held her tightly and silently he felt crying along with her. Tomorrow he would be married. Tomorrow his life would change, and he felt helpless to do anything about it. He had no feelings for his Betrothed, who came from a neighboring kingdom. The marriage was just to please his parents and people. Slowly they both slid into a peaceful sleep, finding security within each other’s em-

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Nirvatra brace.

Morning came, and Kahlan was awoken violently; his father entered the room and found him sleeping with his pet. He kicked him, yanking him away from Nalah. “It’s your pet and nothing more!” he shouted in his son’s face.

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April Thomas

Chapter 7

Monolithic Kahlan jumped to his feet, shoving his father’s foot away from landing a second blow to Nalah. Pandu stumbled backward, shocked by his son’s actions.

“Who have you become? You curl up with dirt, and you turn against me!” Pandu yelled.

“Please, forgive me, father,” Kahlan instantly fell to his knees, begging for his father’s forgiveness. He listened intently for Nalah to make any sign that she was still alive until he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her groan.

“I don’t care for your mother’s games. His father scolded, “Guards!”

“No!” Kahlan cried out, jumping to his feet.

“Guards, take this trash. She will now serve the bride

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Nirvatra for her wedding!”

Kahlan fell silent. He turned to look at Nalah; he bewailed in his heart over failing her. Her eyes met his as the guards roughly took her away; every moment she was out of his sight was torture. He struggled in his heart with what to do. If he chooses her, he would have to give up his crown, family, and home and accept possibly a violent death. Would he even be welcomed into her world? Would she ever look at him as she did when they were in the cave?

These thoughts swarmed around him, causing his stomach to churn into knots.

Servants came, and he was dressed for his wedding. Dry jokes were made about his wedding night and the duties he would have to perform, but they barely reached his ears, nor did they provoke a response. He sat alone in his room, waiting for servants to get him for the ceremony.

His mother entered, dressed in a beautiful black and gold gown. She sat on the bed next to her son. “Tonight, you will become a man...if you have not already,” she laughed, expecting him to laugh along. He did not, his thoughts still on Nalah. “Princess Eris is a beautiful girl from a very wealthy kingdom. She and our people share many of the same views; she would make a fitting queen in our kingdom.” Still, Kahlan stayed motionless, uncaring of his mother’s advice. “That...girl...is not like us...her people are below us; they do not logically see things. To be with her is...well, a mistake. Her people live like animals; they even act like animals. How would you have a life with her? What sort of children will you have? Nothing that I would claim or accept.” she said snobbishly.

Kahlan stood, distancing himself from his mother; her words were full of hate and ignorance. He once saw her as a proud and wise woman, but now everything about her

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April Thomas seems crass.

“The reason I let you keep her for your pet is so that you can have your way with her and then get her out of your mind so you can do your duty as a prince. You’re just curious; it’s nothing more, just curiosity,” she stood and walked across the room, pausing before reaching the door. “If your wife disapproves of her, she will be done away with. We don’t need that thing hanging around creating problems.” She left the room just as Kahlan bitterly knocked a vase off a nearby table; it shattered as it hit the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.

“Is this what I’m holding onto...is this what I want?” he questioned himself.

“It is time, young prince,” a servant entered the room, ready to lead him to the ceremony. Guards were with him to ensure Kahlan did not escape. They walked to the grand hall where the ceremony would take place. Guests had already filled the courtyards; to say it is monolithic would not be enough. The importance of this wedding was beyond the young couple. Each kingdom had its own selfish reasons for creating this union. The Navah suspected that Eris’ kingdom held portals that led to the human realm. For them, this was more important than wealth and luxury. The one, who held access to all of the doorways, would have the full power of all. As they referred, the human realm held many luxuries, convinced they were anxious to get their hands on.

Kahlan did not remember reaching his undesired destination. Still, when his eyes fell on her, he remembered what he was doing. However, he could not recall the purpose. Seeing her broke his heart again, crossed between wishing he could clear her from his memory yet holding

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Nirvatra her in his arms forever killed him.

Tortured and beaten, she stood next to his soon-to-be wife. Eris was beautiful, but she was not rare. For him, a woman like Eris came by the dozens, but her...he had only known one.

During the wedding ceremony, Kahlan could not take his eyes off Nalah; she refused to look at him. He noticed new marks on her skin and instantly wanted to take her away from this place. Of course, they would never make it. Both would be killed before they could reach the exit.

The finalization of the ceremony had taken place, and reluctantly he agreed to the terms of marriage. There was no way out; he had to finish what he had started. He watched as they carried her away, fearing that this may be the last time he would see her.

“So it’s true?” Eris snarled. “You sleep with trash.”

He ignored her statement, uncaring of what she thought.

“Let’s just get this nightmare over with,” he said, taking her hand to perform the traditional newlywed dance.

Like rusty robots, they danced for their audience. As soon as the dance was over, Kahlan tried to excuse himself early, claiming to be sick. However, it did not work. His father, mother, and bride were on to him and refused to let him out of their sight. Hours had passed before finally the event was over. The bride and groom were sent to their suite to consummate their union.

Eris; eagerly undressed, sure that her lingerie would clear his thoughts of the slave girl that seemed to have this unimaginable hold on him. No man could resist such

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April Thomas beauty; she had flowing lilac hair and lavender eyes.

Her pale green she kept soft and supple. Many princes begged for her, but she chose him. For whatever reason, he seemed disenchanted with her beauty, which intrigued her. How was it that she could not capture his attention? She had watched jealously as he stared at the dirty slave girl. What was so special about her that made her irresistible to him? Still fully dressed, Kahlan sat by his balcony, staring off into the darkness. She would give him a few more minutes before forcing him to do his duty. *** “Take that Nirvatran whore out and kill her,” the queen ordered her men.

“But what about the ceremony tomorrow?” one of the men questioned.

“Just tell everyone that she tried to escape, so she was killed. There will be no ceremony tomorrow.”

The two men left the queen’s room and sought where Nalah was being held. The new princess had decided and knew that if her husband’s pet were killed before him, he would never deal with her on an acceptable level. This was her special wedding request, and the queen agreed.

Nalah was yanked to her feet, and the shackles were removed. Hope grew in her, seeing that this would be her only chance to escape. She would have to play it by ear and see where they were taking her.

“So how should we do this?” one guard questioned the

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Nirvatra other.

“Something quick; I’m worn out from that wedding.”

“I’m not in the mood to enjoy this,” the other replied.

“Well, let’s make it fun; you can use a little target practice.” the first man teased.

“Me, what about you?” the second guard laughed.

“You are asking me for lessons,” the first guard joked back.

“Lessons, I taught you everything you know.” The second guard stated.

Both men continued to pick on each other until coming to the back exit of the palace. They tied her to a tree as they sat down to have a drink. Hours had passed, and they were now unable to speak clearly and far less to aim their bows accurately. However, they had to complete the task.

“She’s tied to a tree. How hard can it be to kill her,” one man slurred.

“True, let’s do this and go home to our wives,” laughed the other.

The first man readied his bow and shot. The arrow missed Nalah, and both men laughed. The second man shot his bow, landing the hand in the tree at her side. The tip grazed her, cutting through her clothing.

“My turn,” said the first man, upset that his friend had landed his arrow closer to the target than he had. Firing

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April Thomas his arrow, he made a perfect shot landing the arrow at her head, and her body slumped. *** He paced his bedroom, unable to sleep; Eris was still waiting on him to come to bed and seal their bond. Even if he wanted to, he needed to motivate himself more to perform his task. Although she was attractive, she did nothing for him. All he could think about was the Nirvatran beauty. Her eyes, hair, lips, skin, and how she carried herself. How would he make it a whole lifetime with this woman if he couldn’t even make it a day without his Nirvatran goddess? He decided to wait for Eris to fall asleep before slipping away to find Nalah.

“Why don’t you relax? Maybe we can share a drink or two?” Eris suggested, leaving the bed and filling two glasses with wine. Kahlan began to protest and thought this could work.

They stepped out to the balcony and began to finish a bottle of wine. Kahlan drank a few glasses, knowing his limit and then he faked it. Pouring out his drink into a nearby plant, he continued to refill his bride’s glass. She was on her third bottle when she finally passed out. He picked her up and laid her on the bed; the robe she wore fell away to reveal her nakedness. Again this had no appeal to him; he could only imagine what his goddess looked like without clothes. He quickly wrote a note to his bride and parents. Making the firm decision in his heart to leave all that he knew behind for something he knew nothing about.

Although it scared him, it also inspired him. He was ready to take on any challenge that may come his way.

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Nirvatra Moving secretly through the palace, he searched everywhere for Nalah. Fearing it was too late, he made his way to where the guards would most likely kill their enemies.

Searching all of the known places, he found nothing.

Maybe it was already done, he thought, making his way to the palace’s garbage mounds. It would be tedious, but he would search every pile until he found her. He could not give up even if she were dead; he had to hold her one more time. Getting her back to her people could restore her life. He thought as he searched through the mounds.

Time was slipping away, soon it would be a new day and his bride will awake to find the note. He had to move quickly. *** Nalah had listened as the men cheered; the arrow had grazed her scalp, and blood oozed from her wound, but she was alive. All she had to do was play dead for a little.

A trick her mother taught her when she was young. The technique was to place yourself into a deep meditation slowing your heartbeat as you relaxed. The only danger was slipping too far into the darkness and letting go of life.

The men dumped her body on a mound of trash. Nalah waited for them to reenter the palace. She waited a few moments more to make sure no one was around and then made her escape. She now traveled deep into the cold Navah wilderness. She would need weapons and food for survival. However, their plants and surroundings were foreign to her. ***

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April Thomas Finally, Kahlan found the mound that Nalah was discarded. He could see a small puddle of blood where she had been lying. Aware that she was hurt yet alive and set his feet in motion, he began to follow the trail she left behind, doing his best to cover both her tracks and his so that the guards would not be able to find them. He knew that she would not live long in the Navah wilderness, especially if she tried to use plants to heal her. The plants of Navah were all poisonous, and the animals loved the smell and taste of blood.

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Nirvatra

Chapter 8

Elude She traveled for some time until she became delirious and decided to rest. Finding a secure spot beneath a large tree, she covered herself with the surrounding vegetation and fell into a coma-like sleep.

It took Kahlan hours, but he finally found her. She was asleep under a pile of leaves. Unsure of how to approach her, fearing she would run from him, he decided to keep his distance as he did before. However, while she was asleep, he would check her wounds. It alarmed him to see blood matted throughout her hair; it looked like a serious head injury. Carefully he moved closer to her, happy and uneasy about her deep sleep.

He found the cause of the bleeding, although it had stopped. A deep gash from an arrow’s tip, he cleansed it with supplies he carried in his sack, emergency supplies taken from the human realm. He knew he would need them to clean the blood away from her face. He admired her lips. Soft and shapely, unaware that he had leaned closer to press his own lips to hers. Craving

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April Thomas to know what they felt like. She moved, and he jumped silently, scolding himself for his actions.

Still, she did not wake, settling into a more peaceful sleep. Kahlan sighed, making sure she was covered. He looked around, planning to help lead her out of the wilderness and back to her home. He set up a few pathways hoping that she would follow them. He then climbed into the tree above where she slept and kept close guard over her until she woke. *** “He has surely lost his mind!” Pandu yelled, crumbling the note Kahlan left behind.

“He has renounced his throne and his bride!” the Queen cried out.

“This disease has gone untreated for too long. Where is he heading? It’s not like he’s going to find her,” King added.

“No one makes a fool of me!” Princess Eris shouted.

“You’re still a Princess; we will find him and cure him of his sickness.” The Queen reassured her. She then turned her attention back toward her husband. “We will give him one day and night to return to his senses. He will not find her; she has already been killed. The guards assured me of this. Let’s wait; you will see him return and beg for his title and wife back.”

“With her dead, that should help to break the wicked spell she has over him and break the fever I’m sure is burning up all of his brain cells!” Pandu shouted, leav-

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Nirvatra ing the newlywed’s suite.

The royal family, joined by the Princess, waited for Kahlan to return to his sense. They fully expected him to stride back to the palace and beg for forgiveness and a cure. But the day and night turn into three full days.

The new bride was seething with rage; as petite as she appeared, she was a force to be reckoned with. Eris took matters into her own hands and demanded that Nalah’s decaying corpse be brought to her so that she could see for herself that she was dead.

The guards finally returned a day later with no corpse.

The Princess ordered their heads be cut off, and she prepared to leave the castle to find her estranged husband and bring him back at once.

As the carriage pulled away from the palace, Eris’s mind mulled over the past few days. She knew he was not attracted to her, which made him an exciting challenge. It was a prideful game that she did not see herself losing; never before had a man refused her, especially naked. He had made a fool of her, getting her drunk and slipping away into the darkness. If only she knew how to break the hold that little slut held on him, she would be all his. Having her murdered did not help; she seemed to elude everyone taking Kahlan with her. This meant war, no other woman would take what was hers, and she would make them both pay for it.

Before leaving the palace, she was given the antidote to cure his illness. She just needed to inject him with the total dose of the needle, and he would return to the same Kahlan everyone in his Kingdom knew and remembered.

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April Thomas *** It took many sleepless nights, but finally, he led her safely and without her knowledge out of Navah. The love in his heart had blossomed dramatically for her, and he could barely contain all of the new emotions he felt emerging for her daily. Every night, he watched over her observing her sleep and how her body slowly eased into a blissful state. Everything about her drew him in closer, he was caught in her web, and she did not know it.

Nalah relaxed, feeling the love of her environment surrounding her. She was beyond tears to have escaped and made it home safely. She fell to her knees, thanking The Creator for the miracle. Remembering her original purpose of performing the forgiveness ceremony, she set out to collect all that she would need for the ceremony.

As she collected the seven specific plants needed, she thought about her journey; However, she traveled alone, and she did not feel alone. Nalah could feel his presence constantly and worried that she had fallen for him. Her mother always taught her that you only have one soul mate, one chance with your life partner. She feared that her actions had brought about a change in her life that she would not be able to handle. Falling in love with someone was not impossible. Still, maintaining a relationship with someone who is not your soulmate is often tricky.

The heart is a funny instrument, sometimes drumming to the beat of only another’s the heart. It could either shut down entirely or tap to the beat of anyone’s heart when that is not found. This is why finding your soul mate was so crucial to Nirvatrans. Loving in perfect balance and harmony lengthened life and strengthened the soul.

The last thing Nalah wanted was to be in a chain of

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Nirvatra fumbling relationships, all doomed for failure. And then there was the fertility issue. Was it just an old woman’s tale to prevent her daughter from wasting a minute on a passerby, or was there absolute truth to it?

The day had grown late once more. It would be another day and a half before she reached the place where she pushed her enemy to his death. Being happy to be in her own realm and soon-to-be home with her family brought warmth to her heart. Finding a safe place to sleep, hidden from anyone who may stumble upon her, she finally nestled into a restful sleep. As she drifted off, thoughts of him filled her mind. She also thought about what she endured in his land and the injury from the arrow’s tip. She was surprised to wake with a clean face but assumed an animal may have licked her face and wounds while she was in a deep sleep. Yet, her theory didn’t sit well with her; she had heard so many horror stories of the wild animals in Navah. They were more likely to eat her face than lick it. She wondered if he had followed her. Would he have left his Kingdom and new bride behind to follow her? She thought. It became her last thought before drifting deeper to sleep. Her body was exhausted, and her mind quickly ceased its endless chatter.

Slipping out of hiding, Kahlan carefully stepped closer to Nalah. He smiled as he watched her sleep peacefully. Something about her being content brought subtle warmth to his heart. How can you have many emotions for someone you were raised to hate? Her very race was intolerable to his people. She had been lucky they did not kill her on the spot. He understood that someone or something powerful had been watching over her. “Who are you?” he questioned in his heart. “Why does my hatred

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April Thomas for you or your kind elude me?” he continued his thought.

“What magic is this which has sickened me?”

She turned to readjust herself, causing him to quickly flee into nearby darkness. I can’t go on like this...I can’t spend the rest of my life in this tortured existence. Eventually, she will make it back to her people. And I will not be able to follow her. And if they catch me, I’m sure they will not hesitate to kill me. I must confront her...touch her once before my heart releases her forever. She must know how I truly feel, which means I must be honest with my feelings. His mind rested on his last thought. Morning came, and she was up and about, eager to fulfill some task.

He watched as she carefully prepared a bundle of unique flowers, roots, stones, and plants. All were in a large leaf.

She made a long cord out of vines and secured the bundle with one end, leaving the longer end attached. Her actions were unusual to him. Why would she be making this when she should focus on getting back to her people and safety?

He followed as she made her way through the forest, taking her time to reconnect with the surrounding wildlife. Being in these surroundings is healing not only to her but also to him. He admired her strength, determination, and will to survive against all odds.

Finally, she stopped. Kahlan did not recognize the place at first. Enthralled by her physical beauty, how she moved her body, and the intoxicating peaceful energy flowing through and around her. He scolded his previous thoughts of wanting to harm such a beautiful creature. Why would anyone want to rid this planet of such grace? His mind reminded him once more of where he came from, what he was raised to believe and how he had betrayed his family.

It no longer felt right, everything that he knew. Everything

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Nirvatra that he was taught to think felt painfully wrong. It’s not right to allow such ignorance to destroy love. Then he got stunned by his last thought, especially the last word in his statement...love. Is that what this is...is this what it feels like? He pondered.

As a child, he was told of a deathly sickness, an infectious disease that the Nirvatrans carried and spread like wildfire. This was why they wanted to rid the planet of them. Free everyone from their pathogens that aggressively attack the host’s heart and then mind. Maybe I do need a cure; perhaps I was acting this way because of this illness, he continued. However, I can’t turn away from her now. I will ensure she returns home safely, then return home and be cured. Just knowing that she is safe would make the cure easier to handle. Then I will never return to this diseased realm again, he concluded.

Nalah slowly walked to the edge of the cliff carrying her bundle. She thought about the last moments before she took his life and wept. Taking another creature’s life was against everything she personally believed in.

If she had not feared for the safety of her people, she would have allowed him to live. The poison would not have killed him, but it would have given them enough time to escape.

However, he was too aggressive; he could have turned back many times. There was no need for him to continue chasing them, and if she had not reached her brother in time. It would have been her brother she mourned today and not her enemy. Slowly she lowered herself to her knees, finding it within herself to plead with the Creator for forgiveness. No matter her reasoning, she

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April Thomas had no right to take a life. She knew better than this, especially his life. An image of him appeared in her mind’s eye once more. The fiery glow from his heart mesmerized her. It was all that she indeed remembered. She knew what she was giving up but felt she had no choice.

She earnestly prayed and slowly lowered the bundle down the cliff walls until the vine rope slipped from her hands. Although she could feel a heaviness leaving her body, the pain was still in her heart. But where was it coming from? The sadness of taking someone’s life, a life she was meant to connect with in a deep and meaningful way, or was it him, the deceptive stranger?

She could still feel his arms around her, remembering her last night in the castle. The way that he touched her soothed her. She could sense he wanted more but was unsure why and how to approach her. What troubled her most was that she wanted him too, yet could not understand why.

A movement was heard behind her, but she did not turn around to see who or what. Too wrapped up in her pain, she could care less if someone came to take her life. It would only take her out of this misery.

“I forgive you...” He said softly.

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Nirvatra

Chapter 9

Forgiveness Through death and torment...pain and suffering...

I followed her. No matter the rejection, the disgust, and the bitter rage...I followed her. I do not know her name...or how to bring her joy...all that I know, all that I understand in my cold dark heart, is that I love her...

Nalah stood slowly from the cliff’s edge; she recognized his voice. It played in her heart like a song. She longed to hear him again, which angered her more than she could understand. He was her enemy, her enemy, and these feelings and these emotions are forbidden. She turned to face him. Her chest heaved; her fist clenched...how long had he been following me?

How long had he been standing there? She thought.

“I forgive you,” he spoke again. His words enraged every fiber of Nalah’s being.

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April Thomas “You forgive me!” she shouted, closing the distance between them, “how dare you, you egotistical coward.”

“I forgive you for killing me,” his eyes lovingly peered deep into her soul.

Nalah, speechless, stumbled back as she covered her mouth. She looked down to where his heartbeat boldly in his chest. That familiar red glow emerged. She fell to her knees as each moment with him flooded her mind. How could this be? She thought.

“I love you...I love you, and I don’t even know what that means... I’ve never been loved...never experienced love.

But you taught me love, life, and what is truly valuable. I thought it was what I owned, my status, but those things mean nothing...nothing at all. “Kahlan knelt down in front of her.” Whatever I have to do, I will do to be with you for the rest of my life...even if it’s just for a day,” “You forgive me?” she mumbled with tears in her eyes.

“Do you forgive me?” he questioned in return.

Nalah clutched her chest; the pain of the past few days burned in her heart. She endured so much that the most painful thing to watch was to see him marry while she stood chained and beaten beside his new bride. “You belong to another; this could never be,” she murmured, stepping away from him.

“I didn’t know what to do...if I hadn’t...”

“We are from two different worlds...Your people hate my people...this will never work,” she stomped away, needing

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Nirvatra to distance herself from him; however, she still feared leaving his side.

“I know I don’t deserve you; I know who you are and what your people represent...”

“Is that what disgusting to you?!” she stopped, turning to face him.

“No...” he struggled to find his words standing to his feet once more. “Yes, I wanted to destroy you, kill you...I don’t know exactly when things changed for me, but I no longer carry those beliefs about you or your people.

I don’t know your name, and I love you.”

“How can you love me? Your people are sick. Love is a disease in your realm. What foolish trick is this? You are determined to find my people’s safe hiding and destroy us all?”

“No, No, I only want your safety; I only want to know that you are safe,” he corrected, stepping closer to her.

Nalah stepped back, folding her arms across her chest; his words oddly hurt her. It was not exactly what she needed to hear. In her heart, she wanted to feel his warmth again; she wanted to be with him but feared the consequences.

“I could die tomorrow, but if I die without getting one last chance to hold you, my being will never rest. I will spend eternity following your essence throughout Nirvatra if it has to,” he spoke, taking a cautious step closer to her. She stayed silent and motionless. It would be the only invitation he would get at this point. “When my fa-

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April Thomas ther sent me out on this mission, I was sent with a dark purpose. I don’t know what happened to me. Maybe your magic has sickened me?”

She looked up at him, eyes blazing with rage. “Magic?” she repeated.

“I am sick, and soon I will have to be cured. I just need to make sure you are safe with your people.”

“Cured...” his statement made no sense to her. How can you be cured of a cure? She knew that hatred was a sickness. It killed everything around it, an emotional and mental disease that slowly destroyed its host from the inside out. Navahs were known to be strong, but they did not live very long. It was customary for them to die of numerous deteriorating diseases. Nirvatrans believed it was caused by the darkness and hate they carried in their hearts. “I am home...I am safe...I don’t need you or anybody to safeguard me in my home.”

She turned to leave when he reached out to her. Gently pulling her to him, he wrapped his arms around her, nestling his nose in her hair. His heart pounded loudly as he closed his eyes and breathed her in.

Her entire body reacted to his intense touch, and goosebumps rose as a wave of loving energy passed between them. “This doesn’t feel wrong,” he whispered.

Her body eased into his arms, not wanting this moment to end. “I don’t understand...what is happening?” she cried. “How...how are you alive?”

“If my death will make you happy, I will throw myself from that cliff.”

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Nirvatra “No!” she turned abruptly in his arms; she now faced him, startled by her own response. She looked into his eyes and peered into his soul for the first time. She could clearly feel the love he carried for her. “Why didn’t you tell me who you are?”

“Tell you? I’m the one you pushed off the cliff?”

“I guess it would be awkward,” she whispered, pulling herself away from him. She stood silently, looking out at the birds flying nearby. He moved closer to her, capturing her attention once more.

“Hello, my name is Kahlan,” he greeted, offering his hand.

She looked down at his hand, smiled, and softly shook his hand. “Hello, I’m Nalah.”

“Nalah,” he repeated, enjoying the sound and feel of her name on his lips. “How long have my hands yearned to touch you,” he paused, sensing he was coming off too strong. “I’m sorry, please forgive me... it’s just...I never thought that someone like me could feel this way...for anyone. I had no clue that this was possible for me.”

“I thought the Navah did not believe in these feelings?” she questioned.

“I was raised to understand it as a disease, a sickness,” he answered.

“A sickness,” she turned away from him, resting her soft hand on a nearby tree. “Is this what you believe?”

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April Thomas He hesitated to answer; he firmly made the decision to make sure she returned to her people safely and then returned home to be cured. Obviously, he did believe what he was raised to believe. Then why were his lips forming the word for no, and why was his head agreeing to what fell from his lips. Am I lying to her or myself? He thought.

Nalah could see the confusion in his mind but chose not to question him further on the topic. No one could be cured of negative brainwashing overnight. “You’re a prince; your people will come looking for you very soon.”

“I know,” “You should return home before...something bad happens,” she advised.

“I want to see that you make it back safely,” he returned.

“I am home,” she turned to face him while spreading her arms out wide, smiling.

“It would bring me great comfort to walk you the rest of the way home...to your people,” he pressed, smiling back.

Nalah turned her back to him again; her feelings for him were new and volatile. If she could distance herself from him now, it would make it easier for her to not feel disappointed when he chooses his people over her.

She could not waste her energy on a false hope that he would somehow choose her over his kingdom, comforts, and of course, his new bride. “I think that it would

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Nirvatra be best if we go separate ways now,” “But, okay, Nalah...I understand you may not trust me, but...”

“It’s not what you think,” she interjected.

“Then why?”

“It’s just better this way...Kahlan, we come from different worlds, and whatever this is, it will never work. Let’s just hold onto the dream of what could have been and move on with reality...”

“Who is speaking like a Navah now?”

“I’m not,” she paused, glancing at him scornfully. “I’m just being reasonable.”

“Reasonable,” he sneered.

“It’s honorable that you want to ensure that I’m safe, but you have already placed yourself in danger, as well as my people and me. I can’t allow you to follow me back to my village. What if someone is following you?” Nalah spoke calmly and rationally.

“Is that the real reason why?”

It was a simple question, nothing that should cause her such sudden anguish, yet it did. “You shouldn’t be here; you should be with your wife.”

“So that’s it,” he stepped closer to her.

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April Thomas She took a giant step back, “this won’t work; we’re from different worlds, and you now belong to another; just walk away...” she trailed off. Her last words were more for herself than for Kahlan.

“I gave up everything to come after you...” he paused as he thought about what he had done and what he was saying. He gave up everything to be with Nalah. He could go back, but there would be hell to pay, and the more he stood in her presence, the less he wanted to go home. “I never consummated the marriage,” He finally ended.

She looked directly into his eyes. He was drowning in bewilderment. She felt sorry for him, “you want to, but you can’t. This can never be. You should go.”

“Nalah,” “Go!” she yelled, tears bursting from her eyes. Nalah did her best to escape him, again running deep into the Nirvatran woods, unsure of where her path will lead.

Kahlan stayed close behind her; his heart could not let her go. He realized his words upset her. Why am I such a coward? He scolded himself. Letting her go would be the logical thing to do, but for some unexplainable reason, he just could not see life without her in it.

The chase continued for some time, reminding them of their first meeting. Of course, everything was different; this chase was filled with too many complicated emotions.

Finally, Nalah stopped her body, approaching an abrupt stop overlooking a cliff edge. She looked back at Kahlan, then turned to the advantage spreading her arms and diving off the ledge. Kahlan gasped and then screamed

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Nirvatra out for her but was violently yanked backward by an unknown pursuer.

Before the chase began, Takka stood back, hidden from his daughter and her lover. Happy to see his daughter alive and well but disappointed to see her in the arms of a Navah and not just any Navah, The royal prince; she could have been with anyone in Nirvatra, even a tree being, but a Navah Prince, the only Navah Prince. This was too much to comprehend in one day. He followed them as they raced through the woods. Although he was worried about his daughter diving off a cliff, he knew she had a better chance of survival than her friend. She would only have dived off that cliff if she was sure where she would land.

“Nalah!” Kahlan screamed, fighting to rush back to the cliff edge.

Takka held him down with one arm. “Nalah can survive the fall...she has since she was a child, can you?”

“Who are you?” Kahlan asked as he caught his breath.

“Takka; Nalah’s father.”

Kahlan jumped at his words, freeing himself from Takka’s grasp. He stared at him blankly. “You saved me?”

“Not something I’m too proud of,” Takka remarked, turning his attention to the cliff edge. He was sure Nalah survived the fall, but he wanted to get down to her as soon as possible just in case she was injured. “Let’s go,”

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April Thomas he ordered.

“Go where?”

“Nalah may be hurt,” Takka blurted while grabbing a long vine.

“How are we going to get down there?”

“Just keep up,” Takka replied, grunting when he found the vine too short for the long drop. He took off running, and Kahlan followed as they went down to where a large lake sat perfectly nestled at the bottom of the surrounding cliffs.

They both froze at the sight of Nalah being held captive

by Princess Eris and her guards...

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Nirvatra

Chapter 10

Commitment

“So, this is what you left me for!” Eris shouted as she glared at Kahlan. The rage she felt was beyond her expectation. It was not that she had sincere feelings for him; it was the fact that he did not have any pride or honor in her being his mate. She took this as a direct insult. Every man from her kingdom adored her. She was highly revered, her male servants were happy to drink her Bathwater, and the female servants worshiped her. She left all that behind for a man who would rather be with something she barely considered worthy of breathing the same air as her.

Kahlan carefully assessed the situation, relieved that Nalah was alive; he turned his attention to the surrounding threat. Eris’ guards were spread out in a halfmoon formation with their weapons drawn and aimed directly at them. He smirked, thinking of the meaning of loyalty. It was so easy for them to turn against him.

Spineless, he thought. Most of the guards he recognized as old friends he grew up with, but this was normal for

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April Thomas a Navah, and Kahlan could not wrap his mind around why it bothered him so much. Glancing over at Nalah, he thought back to all the events that had led them to this point. Spineless is what I am; this shouldn’t be this way... it’s my entire fault, he thought. He took a step closer toward Nalah, the only desire in his heart was to save her, even if it meant his own life, and the guards readied their aim.

“Take one more step, and I will slit her throat,” Eris warned, causing him to stop in his tracks before he could respond. He felt and heard an object cut through the air beside his left cheek, barely grazing his skin. Eris screamed out in pain, falling to her knees. The guards began to shoot arrows and daggers in his direction. He quickly realized what had happened and made his way skillfully toward Nalah. Taking her up in his arms, he turned to escape into the nearest woods. He felt a prick on his right thigh, but he was too focused on rescuing Nalah to see what caused the temporary pain in his thigh.

Takka, a wise and mighty warrior, effortlessly fought his way to freedom, escaping behind Kahlan and his daughter. The Navah guards started to pursue them but were called to a halt by Princess Eris.

“No need to chase them. Kahlan will be back to his normal self in no time,” the princess announced with a sly grin.

Kahlan ran deep into the woods until his left leg caused him too much pain to go any further. He carefully placed Nalah’s feet on the floor. She instantly held on to him, helping him to stand.

“What happened?” she asked as she looked over him,

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Nirvatra searching for the root of his discomfort.

“My leg,” he breathed, looking down at his thigh. A small red spot where blood had pooled from a prick was all that showed.

“What is that?” Nalah asked. Neither she nor her people had ever seen tools for injections or the marks those tools left behind. She could only compare it to an insect bite. “A spider, maybe?” she thought.

“No. Nalah it’s too late for me. You and your father just go!” Kahlan shouted.

“No... I’m not leaving you,” the words left her mouth naturally. She hadn’t really thought about what she was saying. The old Nalah would have gone without even giving him a chance to finish his sentence. She could genuinely feel it now...the love... somewhere along the way, love’s seed had planted itself deep within her, and now it was blossoming strong.

“Please, I don’t want to hurt you,” he pleaded weakly.

“My people, we can help you. My mother is a great healer,” she returned.

“Nalah...go on without me. I don’t want to hurt you... or your people,” he stopped falling down to his knees. The pain was gone, but the numbness was taking over his body.

“What’s wrong?” She grunted, struggling to help him back up.

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April Thomas “Nalah, Nalah!” he pulled her down towards him to be face to face with her. He looked over at her father and then back at her. “I don’t know...I didn’t know what that glow was about or understand it. I was raised to hate it and do all in my power to extinguish love. Now I understand that the glow is love. You and your people carry this amazing energy inside of you. It’s so powerful and, at times, too bright for me to even glance at...I am Kahlan, from Navah...we don’t know love,” he grew weaker as he spoke; his limbs became heavy and fell to his side. Takka, her father, stepped closer. “I feel my spirit leaving...please go. I don’t want you to see me like this...I love you too much,” he finished.

“You are not Navah,” she cried out.

Takka stepped forward, forcing his daughter to her feet.

“Nalah, we have to go. It is too late for him. He is in the Creator’s hands now,” “Nooooo!” she cried out, fighting to hold Kahlan again.

Takka fought back the pain of seeing his daughter in so much emotional turmoil and pulled her to run behind him. His heart sincerely went out to Kahlan; he had earned his respect and more.

Kahlan watched as the woman he loved disappeared into the thick Nirvatran rainforest. His body collapsed to the ground, but his heart wanted to be with Nalah. He felt it when his spirit left his body. The numbness was gone, and his soul could now move around freely. The first thing to come to his mind was Nalah; he had to find her. Now that he felt strong again and healthier than he’s ever been, he had to find her to show her how much he loved her. He took off on the path her father dragged her towards and

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Nirvatra used his hunting abilities to follow their path. *** Eris took her time to find the spot where Kahlan’s body rested. It was slumped over in an awkward position, a sure sign that he could not be alive. She knew that something had gone terribly wrong. The poison was only meant to cure him, not kill him. She looked over him carefully, searching for any sign of life. It was subtle, but his breathing was feeble, and his heartbeat could barely be heard.

She signaled for the guards to pick him up and place him in the carriage. She did not want to be responsible for his death. In Navah, the queens are killed and buried alongside their husbands.

“Hurry!” she ordered as she stepped into the carriage beside Kahlan. With the speed that they traveled; it took hours to get back to the cold world of Navah. Eris was relieved once they did arrive; however, they were too late.

Kahlan’s body no longer has a pulse.

She ordered her men to secretly place his body in a small one-room structure outside the castle. She learned that no one ever went there, not even the servants who maintained the grounds. She had her guards lay him on a large stone slab in a locked room until she could figure out her next move.

“Your highness, you must tell Pandu of his son,” a guard approached her.

“I will do what I want. You mind your business and do your job!” Eris ordered, walking past the servant.

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April Thomas “I am only warning you because Pandu will eventually set out in search of the Prince. You can blame it on the Nirvatran girl that he held captive. Pandu will have legal right to enter their village and kill her and whoever he feels is responsible for his son’s death,” the servant suggested.

Eris thought it over for a minute. The plan was flawless in her eyes; however, there was still one major problem.

“If he is dead, I will have to be buried with him,” she reminded the servant.

“Not if his body is never found. How can they prove its murder,” he replied. “The physical body must be present for the death ceremony to occur.”

Eris stepped closer to the servant lowering her voice to speak to him as quietly as she could. “Tomorrow evening, I want you to take his body far away from the castle and burn it. When the fire has completely consumed him, I want his remains to be scattered throughout the Nirvatran territory,” the servant nodded, and Eris disappeared within the icy-cold castle. *** “I can’t! I won’t do it! Father, please!” Nalah begged and pleaded with her father to let her go.

“Nalah, you are my only daughter! He did a good thing!

Now let him go! He’s dead!” her father demanded as he tugged on her to not lose pace.

Nalah knew that her father was right. Going back to fight over his dead body would put their entire tribe in danger

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Nirvatra and be a fruitless risk. His spirit had already left his body; she knew they would never be together again. The realization hit her heart like a deadly bolt of lightning. Her eyes seemed to fill with tears instantly; they blinded her from seeing the path before her. If it had not been for her father holding on to her hand tightly, she would lose her way back home.

They entered the village with chaotic energy surrounding them. It could be felt throughout the community, causing every member to emerge from their huts, curious about what was causing the disturbance. Takka quickly informed the villagers of what had taken place.

Her mother took Nalah away as her father spoke with the chief and tribal elders.

“Mother, why is this happening to me?” Nalah cried on her mother’s shoulder. “I finally find the one whose heart glows for me, and they kill him.”

“You saw the glow in him?” her mother questioned sternly, moving to sit face to face with her daughter.

She firmly held her hands on her cheek and maintained steady eye contact. “Nalah, this is important. If you saw this with your own eyes, then...” she looked away. The fear of the truth consumed her.

“Then what, mother?”

Her father and the tribal chief enter her parent’s hut abruptly. “Are you still pure?” the chief asked pensively.

“Pure?” Nalah was taken aback by his question.

“Did he touch you!” her father shouted.

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April Thomas “Stop!” her mother stood and faced the men. “She is still pure, if you must know.”

“How do you know?” her father asked, his eyes never leaving his daughter’s eyes.

Nalah felt betrayed by her father’s actions. “Father, why would you think any different of me?” she remarked.

“I know because I am a woman!” Maneena answered Takka. “What is all this about?”

“Have her prepared,” the chief informed Takka before exiting the hut.

“Prepared for what?” Nalah asked, standing to her feet.

“Takka, don’t do this,” Maneena pleaded to understand what was happening.

“We have to do something,” Takka took his wife gently by the shoulders.

“Takka...I don’t think it will make a difference. Once his soul awakens, he will come looking for her, and it won’t rest until it finds her. You know this,” Maneena pleaded with her husband.

“So, what am I to do, just sit here and watch it all happen?” Takka returned.

“What is going on? What are you all talking about?

What am I being prepared for?” Nalah demanded.

Takka looked at his daughter and then approached her

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Nirvatra slowly. “We were all one, at one time in our history. You know the tale of the twin brothers?” he asked.

“Yes, they went separate ways; one creating the Nirvatra people and the other creating the Navah,” Nalah answered.

“Right. Well, you also know about soul mates...twin souls? The connection, the eternal bond?” her father continues.

“Yes,” she answered gravely. “Because our connection was confirmed, I could die, but that is not certain. We were never intimate...our connection can’t be that strong,” she argued more to herself than her father.

“I saw the way he looked at you...he has already claimed you as his,” her father said, paying particular attention to her reaction. He already knows his daughter is in love with Kahlan, and her body language shows him that she is not ready to let him go, no matter what. “You will be married tomorrow,” her father ended. “I have to go make preparations,” he said towards his wife, then left the hut.

“Kahlan’s soul...if I can lead it back to his body, then maybe...maybe we have a chance,” Nalah spoke under her breath.

“Nalah, what are you planning?” Maneena asked, moving closer to her daughter.

“Mother, I love him. This may be the only way, please,” she knew that her mother would be the only way for her to escape.

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April Thomas Maneena thought it over for a while. She knew what Nalah was thinking. If she succeeds in finding Kahlan’s spirit and reconnecting it with his body, then it will also save her own life. “Tonight, you will sleep in the wedding hut. It’s at the beach side of the village, the only one facing the beach...”

“But mother,” Nalah began to plead.

“You will go there now; I will be there shortly to stand guard outside the hut...”

“Mother...”

“Go! Go now; this will be your only chance,” her mother kissed her forehead and then pushed her toward the door.

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Nirvatra

Chapter 11

Souls Awakening He was awake, and he felt no pain. Everything was silent around him until his first conscious thought entered his mind. “Nalah,” he whispered. His spirit leaped from its cold encasement. He had to find her to know she was safe and hold her once more. Kahlan’s spirit moved from room to room in the rugged cement structure he found himself searching for a way out.

Abruptly a door was opened, and two guardsmen entered, engulfed in their gossip about the new princess.

Kahlan did not care about what they had to say about her, nor did he care to stop and ask them questions.

Kahlan became aware of his surroundings. As soon as their backs were turned, he would make his move out and away from this prison.

He waited patiently behind a stack of clay bricks.

He was surrounded by items stolen from the humans before the collapse of the portals that led them to the human realm. The guards moved deeper into the building, settling next to a warm fire in the dimly lit

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April Thomas structure. He moved out of the building, glancing back at the facility and his surroundings; he was confident of where he was and planned to demand a meeting with his parents at once.

He first sought out his father. He found him seated in his private study behind his grand solid marble desk.

His father leaned back in his rust-colored leather chair with lion skin fur draped over it; he seemed to be waiting on someone as he sipped on a rare bottle of wine stolen from the humans. Kahlan had to speak with him and now appeared to be the best time since he was alone for the moment.

“Father,” he called out to him, but there was no reaction from his father. Kahlan stood in front of his father and called out to him again.

His father stood and smiled. “I would have married you myself, but how could there be two queens,” he smiled as he looked past Kahlan.

“Father?” Kahlan mumbled confusedly.

His father stretched forth his arms, and Kahlan’s heart sank as he watched his father’s hand glide through him.

Kahlan turned abruptly at the sound of an approaching female’s voice.

“And I am too rare a jewel to become your concubine,” she took Pandu’s hands and wrapped them around her body.

“Eris?” Kahlan gasped as his spirit became cold.

“Oh, how that son of mine is a lucky one,” Pandu boast-

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Nirvatra ed and released a devilish laugh.

“Yes, that son of yours,” Eris grumbled to herself, pulling away from Pandu.

“You know the ceremony was just a facade for the kingdom. The marriage is not real since Kahlan has taken off once more in search of trash. You will lay with me each night,” Pandu smiled, taking her hand, and pulling her back to him.

“But, what about her?” Eris asked flirtatiously, inquiring about the queen.

“She has been using that beauty cream you gave me to offer her,” he laughed. “She grows closer to death by the minute.”

“Great, soon the poison will consume her body.” They both threw their heads back in laughter.

Kahlan clasped a hand over his mouth.

“And what should be done of Kahlan?” Eris asked, ending their laughter.

“We must find him and bring him back. You cannot be without your husband,” Pandu answered.

“I may know of the Nirvatran village he may have gone to,” Eris grinned.

“I will declare war on the Nirvatran people until they give up my son!” Pandu roared.

“War...I love war,” she spoke under her breath so Pan-

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April Thomas du could not hear. “What if...they have already killed him... what then, my King?”

“Killed my son?!” Pandu exclaimed.

“Just what if?” Eris added.

“Then they will have to deal with the force of our kingdoms,” Pandu replied.

“You are a wise and powerful ruler, and now with the power of both our kingdoms, we can rule the entire realm,” she laughed boastfully while clinging onto Pandu.

“Yes, my son will rule over one half and I the other,” Pandu added proudly.

“But...my King...what if he is...” Eris began to ask once more.

“The Nirvatrans are simple-minded, tree huggers and animal lovers; they don’t have it in them to kill. It’s against their beliefs,” Pandu said, amused by her questioning. He stepped away to pour himself a glass of wine. “Now, the only times they have been known to kill is when they had no other choice,” he continued taking a sip of the wine. “Either way, I declare war on the Nirvatrans even if we have to fake Kahlan’s death.” He finished his glass and then smiled lustfully at Eris.

Kahlan had heard enough; he needed to try and help his mother and find a way to stop this war from happening.

He walked through the door and sought out his mother in her chambers. He found her admiring her beauty, or so he thought. Something was very wrong. She wept quietly in

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Nirvatra front of the mirror, and as he moved closer, he could see why. It startled him at first to see her once dewy, youthful skin now dry and sagging from her face. Her eyes had lost their brilliance, and her hair had grown grey. She held a bottle of the cream his father had spoken about in her right hand and an empty bottle of poison in the other. The cream had aged her skin suddenly, and her ego would not let her continue living the way she looked now.

“No!” Kahlan cried out.

“Kahlan... you’ve come back,” she stood and turned to face him.

“Mother, what have you done?” he cried out.

“Kahlan...I...” she looked down at her now wrinkled skin and then over to her son.” Your father...he...”

“He betrayed you...they betrayed you,” Kahlan said, grabbing her shoulders. “But don’t let them win... don’t let them succeed.” he pleaded to grab hold of her shoulders.

“I remember the day you were born. The birthing had caused me so much pain I couldn’t stand to look at you,” she laughed lightly as she spoke in a daze. “My mother would warn me about the bond.’ Don’t let emotions trap you,’ she would say.” she paused, looking directly into his eyes. “I didn’t mean to, and once I did, I had to try and destroy it.”

“What are you talking about?” Kahlan asked.

“When the nurses weren’t looking, I picked you up and held you. At first, it was just curiosity. I would see the Nir-

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April Thomas vatran mothers do it so naturally. I was curious what it felt like,” she drifted off in her own thoughts.

“Curious of what?”

“I held you to my breast, and you latched on quickly,” she smiled. “I always knew you were different. I knew you were not like the others...Breastfeeding creates such a powerful and beautiful bond between mother and child. This is why it is forbidden amongst our people.

Maybe they are right. Is that why you took in that Nirvatran girl?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused by her line of thought.

“I breastfed you...created a bond with you, and now you’re...different,” she looked up into her son’s eyes.

“Different? Mother,” he let go of a heavy breath and smiled at his mother. “I saw something in her that I wanted...and... Deep down, I knew that killing her would not be the answer. I just...”

“You’re in love with her?” his mother said while raising a brow.

“I never understood what that was until her,” his mind began to drift as he thought about Nalah. “It helps me to understand so much about life. Our people are wrong.

Life without love is not worth living.”

“We hold tight to our values and beliefs; they are old and have helped us through the years,” she insisted.

“They are destroying us...they are destroying you,” he

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Nirvatra returned.

“Nonsense Son, this is how life truly is,” she replied.

“Mother, please call for help!”

“Why?” she mumbled.

“Because you are dying,” he said.

“Son... it’s already too late,” she said, stepping back as she looked over her shoulder toward her lifeless body.

“But now the question I want to have an answer to is why you are here?” *** “He’s not dead...yet,” Nalah’s mother spoke calmly.

Her father, Takka, stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest. He desperately wanted his daughter to forget about the Navah man and be with one of her own kind. “He won’t live much longer; his spirit lingers; it won’t be much longer till it finally settles in the realm of air,” her father stated.

Nalah had tried to escape but was caught by her father and other guards around the village. For the past two hours, she tried to reason with her parents why they should let her go.

“I have to get back to him; I have to call him back to his body,” Nalah stood up from being seated in front of a large, wide-mouth wooden vessel filled with turquoise blue water. Images of Kahlan faded away into the ripples

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April Thomas of the water.

“My heart, you will have to let this one go,” her mother also stood from being seated around the vessel. She directed her statement toward her husband, but he was too busy staring at their daughter. He struggled to find a way to stop her from going after Kahlan.

“Your mother is right,” he said. He had heard his wife, but on his own terms of understanding.

“I was speaking to you,” Maneena said boldly to her husband.

He whipped his head around in her direction. “Me?” “This is her journey...a part of being a parent is understanding when to let go,” Maneena added.

“She could get killed!” he shouted.

“You trained her well,” Maneena returned.

Nalah stood quietly as her parents struggled to compromise over their only daughter. She wanted to speak up, to say something before it caused a severe rift in their union.

As she began to open her mouth, her brother stepped into the hut.

“Nijah,” Nalah exclaimed, rushing over to her brother, and embracing him.

“Is it true?” he questioned as he hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

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Nirvatra Nalah stepped back and looked at her brother; she knew what he was asking but was unsure how he would take the news. “Yes, he is my soul mate,” she answered solemnly.

She wants to travel back to Navah to rescue him!” their father spoke sarcastically.

“I will go with her; I will trail her from a distance and make sure she is safe at all times,” her brother offered.

Their father groans, aggravated by his son’s offer.

“Fine!” he relented. “I will follow also,” he added.

“We must leave now!” Nalah insisted. “We may already be too late.”

“Father, you don’t have to come; we can handle this on our own,” Nijah said, turning towards his father.

Takka looked at his son strangely; something was different about him. There was a subtle, deceptive tone to his words. Takka wondered for a moment why his son would not want him to come along; he knew his father was a highly skilled warrior and hunter. Takka glanced at his son a moment longer and then agreed; however, he would follow them both. He sensed that Nijah may have other plans and felt things may not go well without his interference.

Nalah glanced at her father and brother. She knew something was up but did not have the time or patience to stop and figure it out. Whatever it was, she would deal with it as it evolved. Her heart and soul could hear and

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April Thomas feel Kahlan’s distressing calls and emotions. Time was running out, and she had to get going now. She kissed her mother and father goodbye.

Nalah and Nijah headed into the forest, moving quickly toward Navah’s lands. *** Kahlan’s soul wandered from place to place as his heart struggled to accept his death. He did not notice the old man standing with a blue wooden staff a short distance off. Kahlan’s thoughts were centered on all that he would miss with Nalah and his regrets about not being man enough to make her his in the eyes of his own people and his parents.

“A choice has to be made; it’s not too late, my young man,” an old man’s voice sprang out suddenly from behind him.

Kahlan turned around to see who was speaking...

“My name is Ashtuwan; I have been to the other side and back again. I have seen many things and have grown wise in my afterlife. I was once like you...a prince of the Navah region. I, too, questioned our people’s beliefs deep down in my heart,” the old man said as he placed a feeble hand on the center of Kahlan’s chest. “We are wrong to treat each other the way that we do. We can learn so much from our brothers and sisters from the Nirvatra region. They have family, unity, and love. What do we have?” The old man questioned, looking deep into Kahlan’s eyes.

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Nirvatra “Greed, ego, vanity, selfishness, and the lust for absolute power...”

“If I can get back, I want to change that,” Kahlan said, shifting his gaze to an oncoming light just a short distance past the old man.

“I hope that you will succeed, but if you don’t. Don’t think of it as a failure; some things are meant to be the way they are for whatever reason, but you don’t have to be a part of it.” The old man’s words echoed in Kahlan’s mind as he felt his mind and spirit slip into total darkness.

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Chapter 12

Come back to me

“Wake up, Kahlan, please!” Nalah shouted, slapping Kahlan’s lifeless body. Her brother stood off in the distance. He had killed the two guards that kept watch at the structure’s doorway where Kahlan’s spirit had been calling Nalah. It was silent now, and Nalah refused to accept Kahlan’s death as the end of their story. “Come back to me,” she whispered, placing her hand over the center of his chest. She begged the Creator to allow him to be returned to her in her heart.

She slumped over onto his chest and broke down in uncontrollable tears.

Kahlan’s body was cold and ridged. As she thought about what could have been and was now lost, she became too consumed in her grief to notice the subtle changes occurring deep within Kahlan’s body. It began with the gentle warming of his heart, which was now spreading to his vital internal organs. Every cell

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Nirvatra in his body exploded with new energy, life, and determination. The newly awoken cells raced out of the bone marrow of his legs and made their way directly to his spine. Each vertebra seemed to crackle with new life and vigor.

This powerful new energy entered Kahlan’s mind, and he was awoken...

Slowly he opened his mouth to speak, but the pain was unbearable. The pain of life returning to a dead body was unlike any he had ever experienced. His mouth and face throbbed as the blood flowed through his body again. He could hear Nalah sobbing, and it hurt him more to know she was crying over him. He had to fight past the pain and let her know he was back and would never leave her alone in this realm without him. He focused his energy on his right arm, which was free. He wanted to shout out in excoriating pain, but no sound would come out.

His arm began to move, and he could barely lift it and place it gently on the top of her head. Nalah jumped and then shouted out in joy. “Kahlan!” she cried out, gently taking hold of his head and kissing his lips. “You’re cold; it’s too cold!” she quickly began to open her clothing and his to make direct contact with his body to help warm him up.

Kahlan was still unable to speak. And although he did not want her to expose herself to the extreme cold, he could not stop her; she laid on top of him, pressing her bare skin against his and covering them with the skins she had carried with her. He could not deny the much-welcomed heat her being brought to his cold

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April Thomas body, heart, and mind. He had awoken as a new man and would never be the same again. The love that he felt for her was intense, almost obsessive, it scared him, and he wondered if she felt this way for him. However, he knew it would not matter; he would love her regardless of how much or how little she loved him back.

“I thought I had lost you,” Nalah began to speak. “I don’t care about our differences; I don’t care about who you are to my people. All I want is you,” she tightened her grip on him, and he began to feel aroused as her entire breast pressed against his.

Now his focus shifted to controlling his manhood. He didn’t want anything to ruin this moment. He wanted to be more to Nalah than just the typical male, but nature was beginning to rise, and there was not much he could do about it.

“Give up on him. He’s dead!” Nijah shouted at his sister as he now stood beside her and Kahlan.

Nalah jumped; she threw back the skins just enough to reveal her head and Kahlan’s to show that he was alive and recovering. “His eyes are open, and his color is returning, but I don’t think he can speak yet,” she informed her brother.

A sound was heard behind them before her brother could respond. He turned his attention to the oncoming noise. He panicked when palace guards came into view. Arrays of primitive weapons are all pointed toward them. Nijah knew that taking on so many guards by himself would be foolish.

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Nirvatra “Bring them into the palace!” a man ordered, making his way to the front line.

The guards moved quickly to restrain Nijah and yank Nalah to her feet. She screamed out in embarrassment as she struggled to cover herself. Kahlan immediately found his strength, jumping to his feet and embracing her to cover her exposed flesh.

“What is going on?” Kahlan’s voice thundered as his eyes met with the leading guard.

“I thought that you were dead...” Eris answered as she made her way to the front line. She stepped past the leading guard. “I had hoped you were dead,” she added, speaking in a low tone.

Kahlan fixed Nalah’s clothes to cover her body completely. He looked at the guards who were restraining her. “Let her go, or I will remove your limbs with my bare hands,” he spoke with an alarming intensity. His eyes never blinked or showed any sign of weakness.

The guards let go and stepped away slowly while keeping an eye on Kahlan. This made Eris angry, and she ordered the guards to restrain Nalah. They obeyed but instantly regretted it. Kahlan stood firm to his word; with his bare hands, he managed to overpower the two guards and rip their arms right out of their sockets. Everyone watched in horror as Kahlan threw the arms down of the last guard to touch Nalah.

“I am Prince of this land, and you will obey me!” he shouted at the rest of the guards standing watch. Each of them froze, then pointed their weapon towards Eris.

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April Thomas She opened her mouth to protest, but Kahlan would not let her speak. “You have been stripped of your rights as my wife and as princess of this land!” Kahlan announced as he approached her.

“On what grounds do you have to strip me of my rights?” she questioned him.

Kahlan, filled with rage, swiftly pulled a sword out of a nearby guard’s sheath. The surrounding guards began to fight him, but Kahlan was unstoppable as he slaughtered his way toward Eris. As he killed the guards who attempted to protect Eris. Nijah stood back and covered his sister.

Eris screamed out in fear as Kahlan swung his sword, hitting her neck and cutting off her head. “Consider this a divorce!” Kahlan said as he watched her lifeless body slump to the floor. He looked up at the other guards and prepared himself for a fight. One by one, each guard dropped their weapon and left, leaving Kahlan, Nijah, and Nalah alone.

He sought out Nijah and thanked him; he then approached Nalah...his heart felt as if it stuttered for a moment. She was beautiful and fierce. Her long dark blue hair sat in a high ponytail at the crown of her head. Her lips, eyes, and soft skin all seem to call out to him all at once.

This is whom he wanted to wake up next to each morning. This is with whom he wants to bear his children. He stretched out his arms and embraced her. “Thank you, my warrior. Thank you for opening my eyes to so much more,” he said as he hugged her tightly. “Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand and motioning to her brother to follow them.

Hastily they made their way out of the Navah territory

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Nirvatra and entered Nirvatra...

It took them a few days to reach the border. As soon as they were at a safe distance from the border, Kahlan broke the silence by calling out Nalah’s name while pulling her into his embrace. “I’m sorry; I will never leave you again.”

He said, squeezing her tight.

Nijah was happy for the chance to catch his breath and enjoy the safety and security he felt in his own territory.

He glanced over at his sister and Kahlan. His heart sank at the thought of what he must do. He made an unspoken promise to his father before he left with his sister. Nijah looked away as his sister kissed Kahlan; she was happy; he could not remember when he had seen her this happy.

“We do not know if your people are pursuing us; we have no time to stop. Let’s keep going; we can make it to the village in a few hours if we take short stops.” Nijah insisted.

“They are no longer my people,” Kahlan stated.

Nijah looked at Kahlan, struggling to hide his disgust.

“Sure,” he mumbled, then turned his back and continued their journey back to the village. They stopped every hour to drink fresh water and catch their breath. When they were one hour away from camp, Nijah, who had been walking ahead of them the entire time, turned around, drawing his bow and arrow, pointing it toward Kahlan.

None of them were aware of Takka watching them hidden behind some bushes a short distance away.

“What are you doing?” Nalah shouted out, jumping in front of Kahlan.

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April Thomas “He is not one of us,” Nijah replied, staring at Kahlan, who struggled to stop Nalah from standing before him.

“Please, Nijah, don’t do this,” Nalah begged. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I promised our father he would not enter our camp,” Nijah replied. Seeing his sister’s tears was heart-wrenching.

“Then we will go and live in the forest,” Nalah reasoned.

“You must come home to your people, marry from our own kind,” Nijah demanded.

Nalah turned around and looked into Kahlan’s eyes.

“What is so different between us?” she spoke more to her brother than Kahlan. “We both have two arms and two legs.” She stretched out her arm as her blue skin changed, radiating a beautiful shimmer of multiple colors. “Our skin can change colors, but if you take that away, does it make us so different that we cannot become one?” She turned back to face her brother. “This is my soulmate...if you kill him...I will be alone for the rest of my days. No little feet to follow me around, no one to look like me and carry on the part of my being after I have moved on. Is this what you want? Is that what you are condemning me to?”

“What does he know of soulmates or our beliefs?” Nijah argued back.

“I want to know,” Kahlan said, stepping away from Nalah. She protested, but he pleaded with her to give him a chance to speak. He turned his attention to Nijah, and he could see that he didn’t want to kill him; however, Nijah

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Nirvatra felt he had no choice. “Saying I love your sister is just not enough. I came back for her. I give you my word that if you allow me to, I will cherish her all the days of our lives. She will not go hungry, and Nalah will not suffer. I will protect her with my life at all times, and I am forever indebted to you and your parents for allowing me to be her husband.”

Nijah stared at Kahlan as he stared back at him, awaiting an answer or for his life to be taken. Nijah thought back to something his mother taught him as he learned how to hunt for their family. “Life is a precious gift. Once it is given, it cannot be taken back. Hold true to the integrity of our laws. Kill only what you can eat and use. Kill those you are forced to protect yourself against, but murder no one! My son, listen to my words; if you murder, you shall be murdered.”

Nijah lowers his bow and arrow. Nalah ran to her brother, hugging him and kissing his cheeks as she thanked him repeatedly. “You must not enter the camp...for your own safety,” Nijah said, looking at Kahlan’s eyes, which were filled with gratitude. “And for your own happiness... you are now banished from our camp,” Nijah ended. He pulled away from his sister and walked off toward the camp.

Nalah fell to the ground in tears as she watched her brother disappear down the path that led to their camp.

She waited to see if he would turn around or change his mind and help them somehow reason with the tribe’s people, but he did not.

Kahlan watched as Nalah cried out for her brother. He lifted her to her feet, picked her up, and cradled her in his arms. He only wanted her happiness; he vowed in his

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April Thomas heart to do anything he would have to do to restore the peace and joy that she deserved. Right now, he had to focus on finding them a home, and for the first time in his life, he would know what it meant to be a man without a house or a country.

Takka continued to watch his daughter and Kahlan.

His heart broke for his daughter, and although he knew his son only wanted to protect their people, he was not proud of his actions. Takka scolded himself for feeling this way about his son’s actions and eventually blamed Kahlan.

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Chapter 13

Dazima “We shouldn’t stay here,” Nalah finally spoke.

Kahlan gently placed her feet on the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t make me regret it,” Nalah said playfully, poking him in the chest with her finger.

“Will you become one with me?” Kahlan asked, looking deep into her eyes.

It was not a question for Nalah, but she became lost in his gaze and fell silent for a moment. Kahlan cleared his throat, and Nalah giggled. “Yes, and I have the perfect witness,” Nalah said, taking his hand and leading him down a new path. Less than an hour later, they arrived at a serene lagoon where a beautiful and mysterious woman sat on top of a sizeable five-foot boul-

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April Thomas der. Her skin appeared deep blue velvet, and she had large colorful wings resembling butterfly wings. She had long dark blue hair with lilac undertones. She turned her upper body as they approached her.

“Nalah!” she greeted, floating up from the rock and gliding towards them. She gently eased her body onto the ground and gave Nalah a warm hug. “What has brought you to me?” she spoke in a hypnotic Nirvatran language.

“Dazima,” Nalah said, taking a step back and placing her right hand on Kahlan. “This is my soul mate; his name is-” “Kahlan,” Dazima said, cutting Nalah off and moving closer to Kahlan. “Prince Kahlan.” She looked him over carefully, using her spirit to interpret his spirit. After a few moments, she abruptly gave him a hug. “Welcome!” she said, taking a small step back while maintaining a tight grip on his shoulders. “Love has awoken you from your troubled slumber.”

Kahlan smiled. “I’ve never met anyone like you before,” he said.

“And you never will,” Nalah added. “She is the last of her kind.”

“Come!” Dazima said, taking both hands and leading them toward the lagoon’s edge. “You wish to be married, and I am honored to bear witness to such a union as this.”

She turned them to stand face to face and take each other’s hands. “So, your brother has banished you,” Dazima mentioned. Nalah looked down as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Don’t fuss; not everyone will understand this

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Nirvatra love.” She took a step back and looked up at the beautiful clear sky. The Sun was setting, and the moon cast a luminous glow across the sky. This was a Nirvatran sunset.

Only in this realm did the Sun and moon share the same space and time throughout the day, and in the evening, the moon took over. “This is a perfect time to be joined.

Look at how beautiful the sky is,” she returned her gaze to both Nalah and Kahlan. “Are you ready?”

Kahlan smiled at Nalah as they both answered Dazima with a unified “yes.”

“Close your eyes and relax your spirit,” Dazima began.

“I will be the witness of this union, and I will guide you along your unification.

“I never experienced anything like this,” Kahlan whispered.

“This is how our people have married since the beginning of time,” Nalah said as she smiled at him.

“Close your eyes,” Dazima coaxed gently. “Relax.”

Nalah and Kahlan closed their eyes and relaxed as Dazima spoke, guiding them into serenity. Her voice overpowered the sounds coming from the lagoon, and soon it was all they could hear. They stood holding hands while their spirits emerged from their bodies to hover above them. As Dazima spoke the final word of the unification ceremony, Nalah and Kahlan’s spirits merged. Dazima smiled as she gently placed her hand on the back of Kahlan and Nalah’s shoulders and gently encouraged them to embrace. They happily embraced each other, and their spirits glided back into their bodies.

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April Thomas “You are now one,” Dazima announced happily.

Kahlan and Nalah opened their eyes and kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Everything in them felt balanced and whole. “I never knew a union could feel like this,” Kahlan said, looking into his wife’s eyes.

“It’s how it should be,” Dazima stated, overhearing Kahlan.

“Thank you, thank you for....” Kahlan turned and embraced Dazima.

“It’s nothing; it was my honor,” Dazima said, cutting him off.

“Is there anything we can do for you?” Nalah asked.

“Yes, love and live. Take good care of each other,” Dazima hugged them both, then returned to her comfortable seat on the large boulder.

“So, what do we do now?” Nalah asked.

“We need a home,” Kahlan replied, taking her hand.

“We need to eat also,” Nalah added.

“Let’s hunt while we find shelter for tonight?” Kahlan suggested.

“It’s a plan,” Nalah agreed.

They took off in pursuit of a new life, clueless of what may lie ahead. Their first hunt together as husband and wife were very successful. By working together, they

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Nirvatra killed a wild beast and were now searching for a place to settle down.

“That looks like a good spot,” Nalah said, pointing toward a group of trees. A large boulder peeked out behind the trees.

“Are you sure? I thought a nice cave would be better, like we stayed in before,” Kahlan replied.

“There is a cave behind those trees, but I hope it’s empty.” Nalah returned.

“I will check it out first; please stay out by the trees and wait for me to come back out,” Kahlan requested.

Nalah agreed when they reached the group of trees before the cave. Kahlan dropped the wild beast he was carrying on his shoulders to the ground, pulling out his bow and arrow; he made sure his new bride was safe from the cave’s entrance.

He slowly and cautiously enters the cave; he follows a pathway leading deeper where the glow of a small, controlled fire glows, illuminating a large room in the cave.

Kahlan eased around the last bend leading into the cave’s room and was startled when an old man greeted him with a large rifle pointed directly at his face. Kahlan had only heard of these weapons from the human realm. Never before had he seen one.

“I mean you no harm,” Kahlan spoke in Navah, his native tongue. He dropped his bow and arrow.

“You are Navah!” the old man returned.

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April Thomas Kahlan cursed himself for revealing his true identity.

“Not anymore,” he replied.

“Not anymore?” the old man laughed while lowering his weapon. He moved closer to Kahlan then, walked around him then observed a slight marking on the back of his neck. He stepped closer, then joyfully smacked him on the back. “You are a prince!”

“I was a prince,” Kahlan corrected, turning to face him.

“And, how is it that you know so much?”

“Once a prince, always a prince,” the old man stated firmly. He walked around to face Kahlan. “Are you on a hunt?” he asked with a wicked smile.

“No,” Kahlan answered. “My hunting days are over; now I only hunt for food to feed my wife and our future,” he answered, speaking of their future kids and future needs as a family.

“What have you done? Why are you here?” The old man questioned, raising a brow.

Kahlan looked at the man sternly; this was not where he wanted to spend the first night alone with his wife. Not only did the old man give him the creeps, but he wanted it to just be them for their first night. “This cave is already full; we will find another place for tonight. I wish you well,” Kahlan said, taking a step back while waiting for the old man to respond.

“There is more than enough room here, you and your wife; I always welcome hunters into my cave.” the old man invited. He was curious about Kahlan and why he was not

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Nirvatra hunting or showing pride in his heritage. “My name is Talon. I have lived here in this cave for a very long time.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Talon, but we wouldn’t feel comfortable invading your home,” Kahlan said, making a light joke.

Talon realizes he cannot force him to stay, so he accepts his polite decline. “If you can not find comfortable shelter, you are more than welcome to come back.”

“Thank you, I will keep that in mind,” Kahlan said kindly, then left the cave. He quickly exited the cave and approached his wife. “An old man is living there. He said we can share the cave with him tonight, but I don’t know.”

Kahlan informed her.

“What’s wrong?” Nalah questioned as she placed a gentle hand on Kahlan’s bare chest.

“He gave me the creeps, and he knew I was Navah,” Kahlan answered.

She took a step back to look at her husband. When they entered Nirvatra, they buried all of the excess skins used for warmth. She did her best to make sure he would fit into Nirvatra. “Did I miss something?” She asked, grabbing the tip of the long-braided ponytail.

“He knew where to look,” Kahlan said, turning his back and pointing out the small tattoo on the nape of his neck.

“How did he know to look there?” Nalah questioned as she grew concerned.

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April Thomas Kahlan turned back around to face her. “You are my wife; the most important thing for me to do is to protect you. Let’s find shelter somewhere else,” he suggested.

“We may not have a choice?” Nalah whispered as her eyes looked beyond her husband.

Kahlan spun around just in time to see the old man getting ready to greet him with another smack on the back.

“Talon...”

“This is your mate,” Talon said joyfully, stretching out both arms to give her a hug.

Before Kahlan could intercede, Talon was embracing his wife. “We were just leaving,” Kahlan said, taking Nalah’s hand as she stepped back from hugging Talon.

“Why? I have plenty of space in that cave; it’s just for a night. What harm is one night?”

“We shouldn’t impose,” Nalah join in support of her husband.

“You two look as if you have been traveling all day,” he said, glancing back and forth at them. “Take a rest tonight and carry on with your journey in the morning.”

Nalah and Kahlan felt they could not refuse his persistent offer. Now that Kahlan and Nalah were spiritually joined as one. They earned the ability to communicate without words. Holding his wife’s hand, their spirits spoke to each other and agreed that there was no way out of this without being completely rude and offensive.

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Nirvatra “How can we say no to that,” Kahlan smiled.

“We have a fresh kill; my husband and I will prepare it for a meal we can all enjoy. Take it as our way of showing you, our gratitude.” Nalah added.

“Thank you, a hot meal will be a royal treat,” Talon replied.

Kahlan picked up the wild game, and all three proceeded toward the cave. Kahlan skinned, cleaned, and prepared the wild game with Nalah’s help. They both observed how the old man kept a close eye over them, and neither felt comfortable in his presence.

While the meat was placed on a spit to cook just outside the cave, the old man sat nearby. Kahlan whispered to his wife, inquiring about where they could clean up.

They were covered in blood, animal hair, and remnants of flesh.

“I know of a place not too far from here. I used to go there as a child.” Nalah answered her husband. Excitement grew in her stomach as she thought of what passion could lie ahead.

“We are going to clean up,” Kahlan announced to Talon.

“Take your time,” Talon replied, smiling, and nodding at them.

Nalah took her husband’s hand and disappeared into the thick forest.

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Chapter 14

Irresistible

They emerged from the dense forest to a small opening. Five feet away, a hot spring sat perfectly surrounded by lavish purple, blue, deep pink flowers, bright green foliage, and boulders of all sizes. Nalah let go of Kahlan’s hand and stepped away to admire a large blossoming purple flower.

Kahlan watched as she stooped down and inhaled the fragrance coming from the flower. He dropped his weapons and slowly began to undress. He looked forward to finalizing their union by mating for the first time.

Nalah stood and turned around to see her husband completely naked. Her eyes fell upon his broad shoulders and chiseled arms, chest, abs, and thighs. He was handsome, and his spirit had become irresistible to her.

She wanted to leap on him, but her legs would not move.

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April Thomas This would be the first time she had ever revealed her nakedness to anyone, and her body was now plagued with apprehension. She silently reminded herself that he was her husband, and the bond had to be made.

He could see the rigidness in her stance. He realized he had come on too strong and that she had never given herself in any form to anyone. “I’m sorry,” he said, stooping quickly to pick up his breechcloth.

“No!” Nalah blurted as she suddenly reached a hand out towards him. “You’re my husband.” She said, pulling her hand back to the straps holding her leather top in place. She pulled on one of the leather straps, and her top slid down around her waist. She then slides the rest of her garments off. She removed her leather foot dress and the accessories that came with her outfit. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked down and away as she realized Kahlan was slowly moving towards her.

“We don’t have to do anything if you’re not ready,” Kahlan stated as he placed his finger underneath her chin and turned her face towards him.

“I want to be your wife in every way,” Nalah replied.

“We have the rest of our lives; there is no rush.” Kahlan insisted.

Nalah realized she would have to make the first move to let him know she was ready. “Can I Bathe my husband?” she asked, taking his hand, and leading him into the hot spring. “To my people, this spring is called ‘Mahzewa.’ It means ‘Mother’s Womb,’” Nalah said, stopping when the water reached her waist. As her skin adjusted to the temperature, it seemed to trans-

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Nirvatra form from a beautiful shade of blue to an incandescent hue of purple, pink, and red. He had only heard of her kind when he was being trained to hunt and kill Nirvatran people. Now everything had changed for him. He could barely stand the thought of something terrible happening to her. Kahlan’s love for Nalah seemed to blossom when he least expected it. He could not wait for the moment when their bodies would unite.

“You are a rare beauty,” he spoke, unable to take his eyes off her. He moved closer and embraced her. She looked up at him, and their lips embraced, enjoying the sweet nectar coming from each of them. The apprehension and uncertainty lingered around them before they dissolved, and they made love completing their bond as husband and wife.

Hours later, they sat on a pile of leaves still naked, waiting for their clothes to dry a little more. They talked and laughed about their past and dreamed about their future...

“Do you think there will be any meat left when we return?” Nalah asked.

“I hope so because I am starving,” Kahlan laughed. He pulled his wife onto his lap. “You were amazing; I have never experienced love, not like this,” he whispered before kissing her lips.

Nalah enjoyed his tender kisses and asked,” What is it like growing up a Navah?”

Kahlan glanced away for a moment, then rested his eyes on his wife. “Very cold, very...my mother kept me at arm’s length. My father...everything was pride and status and image. I never really felt like I belonged, but

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April Thomas it was all that I knew.”

“How do you feel now?” Nalah continued her questioning.

“Free,” he said with a smile. “How about you? You sacrificed everything for me and...”

“I am free, free to love who I want to love and free to be me. We both made sacrifices to be together, and I don’t regret any of mine.” Nalah answered.

“I don’t regret mine at all. You are the best thing to happen to me,” Kahlan joyfully.

“Yes, I almost threw all this away for good,” Nalah sighed.

“Well, technically, you sort of did,” Kahlan teased, reminding her of when she pushed him off the cliff.

“You will never let that one go,” she laughed.

“Probably not; I’m sure our grandchildren will hear about it,” he laughed.

“Grandchildren… to grow old with you is all I want; I don’t care what we have to go through in this life. Just let us stay bonded.” Nalah said, hugging him tightly.

“We will, my love, we will,” Kahlan reassured her. ☀ They strolled back to the campsite and cavern they shared with the elder for the night. When they arrived,

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Nirvatra both were surprised that the meat had yet to be tended to as expected. The fire had burned itself out before the meat was fully cooked. Kahlan quickly entered the cave to find the elder, worried that something may have happened to him. Nalah stayed back, observing the campsite area.

Something did not feel right, but she could not place her finger on it. She was startled by her husband’s abrupt exit from the cave.

“Is he okay?” Nalah questioned Kahlan.

“He’s not in there. I don’t know where he is, maybe he needed to relieve himself, and maybe he decided to give us some privacy. I really don’t know.” Kahlan assumed.

“Why didn’t he finish cooking the meat? It seems like he vanished soon after we left.” Nalah replied, not buying into Kahlan’s theory.

“Maybe he changed his mind?” Kahlan suggested. He didn’t want to ruin their first night together as husband and wife. He especially didn’t want his new bride to worry.

“I will get this fire going again.”

“Kahlan, don’t you find this all strange?” Nalah questioned as she watched her husband begin to make a fire to finish cooking the meat. “Do you think someone harmed him?”

Kahlan glanced around the campsite as his mind settled on the first important task of being a hunter. Finding tracks… however, his heart, soul, and body had only one desire: to make love with his wife at least once more before they ended their evening. He glanced back at his wife and knew she would not rest until this mystery was solved. He finished making the fire and stood up from the makeshift

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April Thomas pit. “Why don’t you turn this spit and do your magic on this meat while I hunt down the elder and welcome him back,” he said, approaching Nalah.

She nodded and began to move past him to attend to the fire pit and spit. Kahlan gently pulled her back with a sexy smirk on his face. “I need something on my lips to remember you by,” he teased as he leaned down to kiss her lips. Nalah smiles as she returns a kiss. “My heart aches for you,” she whispered.

“My heart aches for you,” he returned. “I will be back; I’m not going very far.” he recollected his weapons and disappeared into the forest, following the only tracks leading away from the camp. ☀ Nalah’s parents and Nijah discussed Nalah’s painful absence from their lives, and her mother was not accepting her son’s decision to banish Nalah and Kahlan.

“You should never have banished them; she is your sister!” Maneena shouted at her son.

“And she chose to be with the enemy!” Nijah returned.

“Both of you shut it!” Takka shouted as he stood from where they were all seated while they tried to eat dinner. “Maneena, do you remember the legend?” he asked as he began to pace back and forth.

“What legend?” Maneena questioned her husband.

“The legend of the new tribe,” he reminded her as he looked eyes with his wife.

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Nirvatra “What does this have to do...oh Takka...No! Not our daughter?!” Maneena now stood.

“What is the Leg-” Nijah began but was cut off by his father.

“The legend of change speaks of a new tribe, beginning with the birth of a woman who will bring a new era to our world; A complete change to our way of life.”

“Nalah would not be a part of something that would ruin our people!” Maneena defended her daughter. “Besides, that vision has never been clear to me.”

“Because it includes your daughter!” Takka shouted.

“My daughter!” she glared at her husband, offended by his words. “Last I checked, she came from both of us,” she spoke sternly.

“What does this legend have to do with my sister?” Nijah questioned, attempting to distract his parents from turning against each other.

“Tell him. Tell our son what the legend says,” Takka said as he glared at his wife.

She released a heavy breath and rolled her eyes at her husband; however, she began to tell the legend to her son. “Do you remember the legend of the two brothers?” she asked her son.

“Yes. Two brothers found a portal that took them to the human realm, when they returned, they both had changed, one brother choosing to maintain a simple life, close to nature, close to the Creator. The other brother

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April Thomas felt completely different and wanted to live like the humans.

“Well, that legend continues into this one.” Maneena sighed. “It was told that a woman from our tribe and a man from the Navah. Would be mated and conceive a child. A girl child, and she will change our entire world.”

“How will she change it?” Nijah asked.

“No one is sure, but what good can come from the Navah,” Takka answered.

“Since the great separation, all the Navah has sought was to destroy our people,” Maneena added.

“Now, do you believe me?” Takka asked his wife.

“You are speaking of our daughter,” Maneena replied.

“I know she is our daughter, but she has been leading us astray,” Takka returned.

“Lead astray! Takka, she followed her heart, is that not what we raised her to do.” Maneena stated.

“Her heart is destroying our people,” Takka said. The pain of his own words hit him profoundly, and he stepped away from his wife and son.

“Is there anything we can do to stop all this from happening?” Nijah asked his mother.

“If you had brought her home, maybe we could have stopped them. Maybe even kill the Navah if we had to, but now...we don’t even know where they are.” his mother answered.

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Nirvatra “Can’t you use your vision?” Nijah asked. He felt partly responsible for his actions.

“No... Once a member is banished from the tribe, we lose all connection to them. I have not been able to see her since the moment you uttered those words.” Maneena said, holding back her tears.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Nijah apologized.

“No, sweetie, it’s not your fault. You did not know. I never believed in the legend. It always seemed too vague to me, like too many important details were missing,” Maneena said, giving her son a hug.

Takka returned, his eyes filled with tears. “The damage may have already been done. I must alert the chief and be with him as he announces this to our people...”

“No Takka!” Maneena cried out.

“What is going to happen, father?” Nijah asked, now facing his father.

“Nalah, the Navah, and the offspring must all be killed,” Takka answered.

“No! What if they have not mated?” Nijah asked.

“I have been on this earth long enough to know young lovers. The first thing they will do is mate!” Takka said, then left the hut to speak with the chief.

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Chapter 15

The Outcast For the past three hours, the old man Talon walked slowly; it would take him one month to reach the Kingdom of Navah. After learning of Kahlan and Nalah’s union, he had to return to Navah to warn the entire kingdom of the danger this could mean for them. Two people coming from such different worlds should not have united, especially when one is a Navah prince.

Talon thought back to when he, too, fell in love with a Nirvatran woman; upon their wedding night, she was slaughtered by his father. And he had been reminded of the legend he was told when he was a young boy.

Since that day, he swore to his father and to himself that he would camp out peacefully in the Nirvatran world unnoticed. Yet observant of any young Nirvatrans and Navahs coming together romantically.

Talon paused for a moment to catch his breath. His

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April Thomas bones ached, and his feet were throbbing; although he didn’t want to, he knew he had to stop and take a break.

Talon found a good resting place near a soothing stream.

He unwrapped his feet from the leather wrappings that protected them. He then eased his worn body onto the bank of the stream and slid his feet into the cool stream.

He sighed as instant relief traveled through his feet and every part of him that ached. He leaned back, looking up at the sky through the hammock of tree limbs, and a vision of her came to him as he drifted off to sleep.

Fifty years ago, Talon fell in love with a Nirvatran woman named Idona. She took his breath away with the graceful way she moved her body. The absolute harmony that seems to float around her and the complete joy she brought him each time he laid eyes on her. Their love was forbidden, but he could not help sneaking away from his parent’s home on fake hunting trips to spend time with her in Nirvatra.

For a year, they hid their love from their people. It was the only way. Yet, it wasn’t enough. The day came when Idona wanted more and so did, he. They had remained virgins until this moment, but she would not go any further until he made a lifelong commitment to her. All that he wanted was for her to be his forever. An actual union ceremony could not be performed, so they made their own.

On a beautiful Nirvatran night, standing in the bright light of the moon and stars that broke through a hammock of trees, they had their private union ceremony. Idona never looked so breathtaking. She committed her heart to him, and he dedicated his heart to her, and soon after, they made love for the first time. They fell asleep in each other’s arms peacefully.

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Nirvatra Neither knew of the danger that was upon them. Talon’s father, Sten, had secretly followed his son on his so-called hunting trip. He was surprised to see his son entering the Nirvatran realm without permission from Pandu. He was shocked to see him meet with a Nirvatran woman, and of all days to discover what his son was up to. Today he sees his foolish son committing himself to a Nirvatran woman and lying with her. It was too much; he had to teach his son a lesson. His son would not be the one to bring about the end of their civilization.

Sten waited until they were both sound asleep, and then he yanked Idona away from his son. He held a blade to her throat and forced her to call out to Talon until he woke. Talon opened his eyes to see Idona begging for her life. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Talon felt helpless against his father.

“Please, don’t do this!” Talon begged.

“I can’t believe you are here laying with this scum,” Sten shouted.

“Please, whatever you want me to do, I will do. If you want me to never see her again...I... I will do it! Just please, please.” Talon pleaded. He could not take his eyes off Idona’s eyes. His once black heart ached to save her.

“I told you the legend. I taught you better than this!”

“You’re going to do this over some foolish story from some stupid old man!” Talon snapped, losing his composure.

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April Thomas “That foolish old man was my father. You dishonor his message, his purpose with this dirty whore!” His father shouted. The blade pressed deeper into her neck, and blood trickled down her to her bare chest.

“Father! Please, whatever you want me to do, I will do!

Just leave her be!” Talon pleaded again.

His father looked him in the eyes. Talon could feel the coldness coming from his father shoot through him. The last thing he remembered from that night was the sound of Idona’s body hitting the ground with a deafening thud.

Talon woke abruptly from his unsettling sleep, still plagued with the last memory of Idona. He sat up and suddenly pulled his feet out of the cool stream. It was morning, and the sun and moon beat down on the Nirvatran forest. Talon slowly rose to his feet; it was time to continue his journey.

As he steadily made his way to the multi-dimensional border to Navah, he thought about Idona and the lost memory after her death. Talon’s mind and body went into shock. His father spoke to him, but he could not comprehend what was being said to him. He watched her lifeless body as his father bitterly dug a deep grave. Apparently, he was supposed to be the one digging the grave and burying Idona. But from the waist down, his body was like a tree’s root. His father dragged him around while shouting a slur of curses at him.

Talon was as good as dead. He felt no purpose for living, no reason to smile. All he could comprehend from his father was that he would not want anyone going through what he had just experienced. This feeling those thoughts

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Nirvatra helped to bring him back to reality; however, he had no will to speak or argue with his father. His father had won; he had succeeded in destroying his soul forever.

As they moved closer to the border, Talon realized he did not want to leave the last beautiful memories of Idona.

He quickly devised a plan, and for the first time in weeks, he spoke to his father.

They had stopped to rest. Talon’s father was no longer dragging him along on a travois. At some point, Talon had begun to walk for himself. They were seated around a small fire. His father was cooking meat from a fresh kill he had made apparently without any assistance from Talon. He remembered this because his father had been cursing and complaining about his deep disappointment in him. Sten, his father, continued to rant and rave about how his son put them in such a terrible situation. He continued to show very little remorse for taking an innocent woman’s life.

“What if it happens again?” Talon asked his father weakly.

“If what?” his father questioned more startled that his son had finally said something audible for the first time in two weeks.

“What if another Navah falls in love with a...” Talon couldn’t finish his words.

“Love is a disease...a sickness. If another Navah falls sick, he must be dealt with in any way deemed best.” his father said sternly.

“I want to stop any Navah from falling...ill. I want to be here...to...” Talon struggled to complete his sentence. His

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April Thomas heart felt too weak; it felt as if it were dying.

His father opened his mouth to protest, then fell silent.

Sten thought about what his son had said. He could not bring him back to Navah looking and acting the way that he did. It was shameful and embarrassing. He would have to hide because no one would want anything to do with him or his family after learning where he had been and what he had done. Leaving him here may be the best solution to this problem.

Sten cut off slabs of meat, placed it on a large thick leaf, and then handed it to his son. “Eat...you will need your strength.”

They ate in silence, and by morning Talon had awoken alone. His father returned home alone. Talon wandered around Nirvatra for years after that day. His sanity slowly slipped away, but all that remained was what his father had thought of him and his last memories of Idona. He vowed to himself and his father to keep his promise and never let a Navah fall ill again. He found a forgotten cave and made it his home.

He secretly watched Navah hunting parties raided Nirvatran camps and cheered them on. He had never seen any Navah or Nirvatran coming together in any other way than murder each other until he saw Kahlan and Nalah.

He recognized that same sickness in Kahlan that he had.

Nalah reminded him of Idona; she had the same alluring energy you wanted to get tangled in. It enraged him just as much as it intrigued him.

He had planned to stay at the cave and do to them what his father did to him, but he was too old and feeble. Kahlan

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Nirvatra appeared to be a strong and capable warrior, and his bride did not look too weak. He had to play it safe and let the Navah warriors deal with them.

Talon had been away from his people for fifty years.

He had yet to learn who the king was at this time. He continued his journey for the next three weeks stopping and resting as his body demanded. Weeks turned into a month, and he had finally made it to the Navah border. He paused at the edge and covered himself with heavy leather, placing warm leather boots on his feet. He braced himself for the cold as he crossed through the plasma-like wall.

The cold air hit his exposed flesh like sharp daggers.

He winced as he struggled to cover up more of his skin.

He laughed to himself for living in Nirvatra for so long that he could not stand the climate of his own home.

He summoned his determination by remembering his purpose and continued his journey through the snow.

He had to put an end to Kahlan’s sickness. A Navah prince could never fall ill to a Nirvatran woman.

It would take him another two weeks before he would come across the first Navah village. Then from there, his travel would become much more manageable. He stomped on through the thick blanket of snow, moving a lot slower than he had before. At times he wondered if he would even make it to the first village. However, he did it.

The snow fell heavily as Talon traveled on, moving closer and closer to the Navah palace, seated boldly in the middle of the cold, dark, barren town. He stomped past the cottages of the poor. People who struggled day

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April Thomas and night to keep themselves warm and fed worked in the castle for wages that could barely keep food on the table.

They were overtaxed and overworked. Yet, they refuse to leave Navah and move to Nirvatra for a chance at a better life. All Navah people believed that the Nirvatrans were a strange race below them. Their apathy kept them blind and deaf to the possibility of seeking a better way of life.

Talon marched on, now entering the community of the middle class. These Navah lived in moderate-sized homes that looked warm and inviting. However, it was a facade.

The temperature in their home seemed colder. They were all selfish people who led selfish lives. And most unfortunate, all the children of the poor Navah were raised to be bitter and resentful of the upper class. The children of the middle-class Navah were hateful of each other, selfish, and manipulative. They would quickly sell their parents for an ounce of gold. Talon thought about this as he made his way to the outskirts of the private communities he walked through.

Again, he thought about the myth his father told him after killing his Nirvatran wife. Could his father have been wrong? “Change is not bad?” he thought. This thought caused him to slow his pace, and he pondered longer on if he was doing the right thing. He came to a complete stop and turned to look back at the towns he had just walked through. He had lived in Nirvatra too long. “I’ve become soft,” he grumbled.

“Old man, return to your house; Kingdom is closed!” a palace guard shouted as he walked towards him.

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Nirvatra Talon spun around to find himself face to face with a young man who appeared eager to kill with the slightest excuse. “I have an important message for your leader concerning a young Navah prince I recently came across in Nirvatra.”

The palace guard glared at him appearing unmoved by his words. A few silent moments pass and the young guard pulls the old man to walk in front of him. He pressed a weapon the old man had never seen before into his back. Another guard appeared with a horsedrawn carriage, and the old man was shoved inside.

Talon adjusts his seat as his eyes lock on the guard seated within the CarriageCarriage. His eyes emitted the venom of a hollow soul. His mouth seemed to have never cracked a smile, and his skin was a sickly pale green.

At one time, both Nirvatrans and Navahs had the same standard blue skin tone, but many things have changed since the great separation. He thought about the Navah prince and his complexion. He noticed the blue coming back however; his skin tone was a richer complexion. The bloodline of royalty flowed through his blood. The tattoo on his neck was only a confirmation of his heritage. Talon glanced down at his own skin. He did look like Nirvatran, although his skin tone was not as vivid as a Nirvatran. He pulled his leather coverings to cover his exposed skin. It was not something he was proud of. Still, it represented his sacrifice for his people by living in Nirvatra for so long.

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April Thomas The Carriage jolted into motion, and it only took a few short minutes to be at the palace gates. The guards and gatekeepers quickly exchanged words, opening the gates.

Again, the Carriage jolted into action. They traveled for more than half an hour until they reached the palace’s main entrance. The Carriage came to a sudden stop. The carriage doors were opened, and the guards yanked Talon out of the Carriage and walked him roughly to the palace’s throne room, where Pandu had been waiting for him.

“What is your name?” Pandu asked.

Talon looked around the grand room, astonished by all the luxurious furniture and decorations surrounding the king. He finally answered Pandu just as a guard was preparing to punch him. “I have an important prophecy to tell you,” he added.

“I remember you,” Pandu spoke, ignoring his words. “I was just a young boy, but I remember my father laughing at your insanity.” Pandu stood and paced the ground before his throne. “You were the fool who fell in love with a disgusting and vial creature! A Nirvatran! Your father begged my father to not send the palace guards to hunt and kill you; he promised he would put a permanent end to your insani-

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Nirvatra ty... You’re still alive, so that could only mean one thing.”

Pandu glared at him vehemently.

Talon lowered his head in shame. His stomach churned as images of his wife’s dead body, and severed head consumed him. He shook his head violently to try and erase those memories once more. He regained his composure, lifted his head again, and glared back at Pandu. “My father succeeded in his mission. I choose to stay behind in Nirvatra and make sure this never happened to another Navah,” he answered.

“Why should I listen to an outcast?” Pandu shouted.

“Because now your son is infected with the same insanity, but worse...not only have they married. By now, they have created a new life, a child that will spring from her womb and end our world forever!”

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Chapter 16

Our New life Kahlan struggled to follow the old man’s tracks; it didn’t take long to realize the old man did not want to be followed. Usually, that would have raised a red flag in Kahlan’s mind, but tonight all he could think about was his wife and the harmony of spending the rest of their lives together. He eventually gave up and returned back to the campsite. When he made it through the clearing, the first sight he laid eyes on was his wife tending to the meat. Her back was to him, and she seemed content in her little world. He quietly sneaked up behind her, startled by her soft giggle.

“For a hunter, you are very loud,” Nalah smiled while turning around to face him.

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Nirvatra “Loud!” he scoffed playfully. “You know you had not heard me coming before I attacked…-” he stopped what he was saying. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable about who he was before falling in love with Nalah. “I’m sorry.”

She stepped closer and placed her hands on his cheeks.

“I know who you were and who you are now. My soul recognizes your true being, and you are at home. That life you led before was another time and a different man. The same goes for me. Today I am your wife, and you are my husband, and our children will know love, peace, and understanding.”

Taken away by her words, Kahlan lifted her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “I will never leave your side. I had never felt such joy and happiness until I met you,” he said as he placed her feet back on the ground.

Nalah smiled and then turned back towards the meat.

“This is ready. I assume the old man did not want to come back.”

“No, he did not want to be found,” Kahlan answered.

“What?”

“He hid his tracks. Very well. I could not find him,” Kahlan said, walking around to the opposite side of the pit.

Nalah stepped away and returned with a large thick leaf she had washed and cleaned before his return. Kahlan pulled out a knife and began slicing off chunks of meat and placing it on the leaf that Nalah was holding.

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April Thomas “I made a nice fire inside the cave where we can eat,” Nalah told him as she headed towards the cave.

Kahlan took a good look at all of the meat that was still left on the spit. He was famished and would not want to leave the cave just for food; leaving it unattended didn’t sit right with him either. He shoved dirt and rocks on the fire until it went out. He lifted the makeshift spit and carried it with him into the cave. He followed the glowing and dancing lights from the fire Nalah had near the back of the cave. She laughed when she saw him carrying the spit.

“I guess you’re hungry,” she laughed.

“I need to keep up my strength,” he said, giving her a romantic stare.

Nalah blushed and quickly found something to do to hide her pusillanimity. Kahlan observed her reaction but decided against speaking of it. She was a virgin and a rare flower. He felt honored that she had chosen him to be her mate and to give herself to him. He placed the Spit carefully near the fire to stay warm. Then he joined his wife, seated nearby, to enjoy their late-night dinner.

“I don’t think we should stay here longer than tonight,” Nalah stated between bites.

“Agreed,” Kahlan replied as he grabbed another piece of meat from their eating leaf. “I don’t know why the old man left, but...” he paused. He did not want to talk about the old man and his strange behavior. This was not the conversation he wanted to have tonight. He tried to plan their future and talk of positive things.

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Nirvatra “But what?” Nalah questioned, confused by his odd silence.

“He’s a crabby old man. Used to being alone...young lovers would just be annoying to him.” Kahlan answered happily, shifting the conversation.

“I suppose you’re right,” Nalah smiled. “I guess it’s hard for me to relax my mind.”

“Ny Ny Hua ungoolie natra,” Kahlan whispered to her in Nirvatran. This meant; to relax and pour out your heart and soul.

“I didn’t know you spoke the old language?” Nalah said as her eyes lit up with excitement.

“I was told of stories when I was a boy, legends told in the old language...our original language,” Kahlan replied.

“But after a while, the elders were killed. And the old language was banned from our schools and throughout the kingdom. My father and the surrounding kingdoms insisted on following the path of our founding father and doing away with Nirvatran ways.”

“Is it hard for you to be here...to be an outcast to your people?” Nalah asked.

Kahlan shifted his gaze onto his wife. “I died, and you brought me back...you refuse to let me slip into the abyss of darkness. However, I had no control over slipping into your abyss. I cannot regret living, especially when living consists of you, and you are my people. You are home.”

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April Thomas Nalah could not resist her husband after his heart spoke those words to her. She leaped towards him, and they consumed each other in lavish kisses; they made love again before slipping off into a deep and peaceful slumber. ☀ Six weeks passed, and they created an enchanting home environment in the cave. When Kahlan was out hunting for food, Nalah used the animal remains from the past hunting to make their supplies and clothing. Nalah had woken up before her husband for the past two weeks and felt sick. She didn’t want to disturb him, so she suffered alone and in silence outside the cave while he slept. While Kahlan was out hunting, she decided to pay Dazima a visit to get some advice from her.

Dazima, being the spiritual sense she was, had sensed her need to meet and sought her out first. She knew Nalah would be walking toward the spot where she spent most of her time and meeting on the pathway toward her favorite lake.

“Dazima!” Nalah expressed happily. “I was just coming to speak with you.”

“Yes, I know. I didn’t want you to travel too far from your camp. You have to be very careful now.” Dazima said as she greeted her with a hug.

“Why is that?” Nalah asked.

“Honey, in less than eight months, you will conceive a child,” Dazima told her as she gently pushed her back and

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Nirvatra looked into her vivid green eyes.

“What?”

“Do not tell your husband now...you both are not safe where you are...” Dazima trailed off in her thoughts.

“There was an old man we met at the cave the first night we stayed there. He disappeared, and we haven’t seen him since.” Nalah informed her. She felt it was essential to understand why Dazima sensed danger for them.

“Was it an old buzzard named Talon?”

“Yes, yes, I believe that was his name,” Nalah answered.

“Return home and be prepared to leave quickly. Make sure you search out another exit or make one if you have to. In the meantime, I will try to find you both a safe dwelling until it is safe for you all to come out of hiding. Wait to tell Kahlan anything. He will want to move you now, and it’s too soon.”

“Thank you, Dazima,” Nalah said, giving her another hug before leaving.

Nalah returned to the cave just before Kahlan returned with that night’s dinner. He smiled at his wife as he entered the cave. “Let me wash off, and I will be all yours,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips and then placing the medium size bundle on the ground beside her.

“For a prince, you sure make a great husband,” Nalah smiled, looking down at the bundle. Every evening when

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April Thomas he hunted for their dinner, he didn’t just bring home a dead animal. He skinned, cleaned, then butchered the meat so that all she would have to do was coat it in her secret seasonings and cook it.

“Well, I didn’t stay in the palace that much; I loved the outdoors; I love being in action and learning how to do things on my own,” Kahlan replied as he reminisced on his childhood. “My father thought that I was odd.” he laughed as he exited the cave to clean up.

“I think you’re amazing,” Nalah said in a mere whisper as she watched him walk away. A warm feeling swarmed her entire body as she thought about the child growing in her womb. “You have a great father, little one,” she said, gently touching her belly. Remembering Dazima’s warning, she began to look around the cave.

Nalah’s stomach growled, and she giggled. “I guess I should get dinner started first,” She quickly gathered an emergency bundle to carry the essential things they would need on the run. She placed it out of sight and focused on exploring the cave deeper to find another way out. She could not find another way out of the cave; many tunnels led to other caverns and dead ends.

She returned back to the main room of the cave, disappointed. “Is everything okay?” Kahlan asked, startling her.

“Oh, no.” She shook her head and then laughed.

“I was just...”

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Nirvatra “I noticed that you have been getting sick in the mornings. Are you feeling alright?” Kahlan asked, cutting her off.

“I’m fine,” Nalah smiled, embracing him. She rested her head on his chest and sighed.

Kahlan could sense something was wrong, but he couldn’t force it out of her. He would let her tell him in her own time. He gently kissed her cheek and then swayed with her in his arms. His mind wandered to Talon. Although he hadn’t mentioned the old man to his wife. His sudden disappearance bothered him. “How long do you think it would take an old man to walk to Navah?” he asked.

Nalah popped her head up. “Why would you ask that? Do you think that’s where he went?” she asked.

“The first night, I didn’t care where he went or what he did. I was happy he was gone. But, now... it’s just strange. Everything about him was strange. His energy was confusing, cold like a Navah, yet sad like he was in mourning. Navahs don’t mourn.”

“Well, he was not a Nirvatran,” Nalah pointed out.

“What...made him stay here so long and then suddenly leave without looking back?” Kahlan questioned more himself than his wife.

“Maybe something bad happened. The old people in our village sometimes leave the camp and go on a long journey because they know they will die.” Nalah suggested.

“Yea...I just don’t think that was the case for him. I saw the

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April Thomas way he looked at you and me. Our union bothered him.”

Kahlan said, stepping back from his wife. “It’s only a matter of time before the past comes up to destroy us,” he said, turning his back to hide the worried expression on his face.

Nalah walked around to face him. “When it comes, we will be able to face it...together.” She encouraged him.

“I just want to have children and grow old with you. I don’t want to be a prince; I don’t want to fight anyone. I just want peace,” Kahlan sighed.

Nalah stepped in and hugged her husband.” We don’t always have control over what happens to us. But we have control over how we handle the things thrown at us.”

Kahlan smiled and looked down at his wife. “I can’t believe I ever wanted to harm you,” he laughed.

“I can’t believe I did,” Nalah returned, and they laughed.

After an enjoyable dinner, they spoke about their future together until falling asleep. Kahlan held his wife close as he began to dream. He found himself in a nightmare. Talon had returned; he held a knife to Nalah’s throat, telling him how disgusting he was for mating with a Nirvatran woman.

Kahlan reached forward to save his wife. Talon slit her throat, and her body hit the floor with a thud. Kahlan screamed out his wife’s name as he awoke from his nightmare. He reached out to Nalah, but she was not there. He jumped to his feet, searching the cave for his wife when he heard her throwing up outside the cave be-

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Nirvatra hind a nearby bush.

“Nalah, are you alright?” he questioned, approaching her.

She jumped. “Yes, yes...just something I ate,” she answered quickly. “Are you alright? I heard you screaming just now.”

Kahlan sighed and pulled his wife into his arms. “I am now.” ”

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Chapter 17

Honey & Vanilla Blossoms Slowly he awoke to the sound of water dripping from the cave ceiling. His nose caught the warm scent of Nirvatran honey and vanilla blossoms, flowers that Nalah used to cleanse her hair and skin. The sounds of her light breathing were soothing to his soul. His body began to awaken to the sensation of her bare breast pressed against his chest. He wanted more of her but did not want to disturb her peaceful slumber.

He thought about last night and the beauty of making love to his wife beside a small fire. He admired how her body moved in an enchanting way. This would be the woman he would spend the rest of his days with, and it brought lasting comfort to his heart. As these warming emotions brought new hope and excitement toward their future, Kahlan couldn’t help but think of the old man and his strange disappearance. “Maybe he will return since our first two months as husband and wife are over,” Kahlan thought. He suddenly had the intense urge to leave

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Nirvatra with his wife. Being a hunter, he was trained to follow his instincts, so he slowly eased his wife’s body onto the soft pile of fur and leather bedding and got himself up.

He smiled as he glanced down at his wife. He wanted to protect her with his entire being as if she were a newborn baby. He knew that he would not survive life without her.

He stooped down to cover her with some leather coverings. Then proceeded to clean up and pack their belongings.

By the time Nalah awoke, everything was put away. A large gourd pod filled with warm water and honey vanilla blossoms was beside her. Nalah smiled, deeply impressed that he thought of her needs in such detail. She stood and began to lift the large gourd.

“I got it,” Kahlan said, approaching her quickly and lifting the heavy gourd filled with water. He leaned down and kissed her soft lips. “May The Creator guide and bless you on this new day,” he whispered in Nirvatran after kissing her lips.

Nalah’s being burst with joy; he was such a different man than when she first met him. He was the one she dreamed of as a young girl. She repeated the good morning greeting to him, then kissed him again. “You are picking up Nirvatran pretty easy,” she said.

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April Thomas Kahlan began to walk to an area of the cave where Nalah could Bathe. He gently placed the gourd down, reaching out for her hand. “It seems to be coming to me naturally,” he said, helping her to walk carefully towards him.

Nalah stooped down by the water and began to cleanse her skin. Kahlan stepped away to give her some privacy. Although he would love to stick around and keep her company, he needed to keep watch on the cave entrance.

His hunter instincts seemed to be in overdrive. However, he knew they were now the hunted. He figured it would only be a matter before his father sent the castle guards after them. The other reason that caused suspicion is the old man and his sudden disappearance.

Kahlan crept to the mouth of the cave. He kept staying close to the cave walls and hidden in the cave’s shadows.

His eyes scanned the borders of the forest for any suspicious movement when he was satisfied that it was safe.

He returned back into the cave where his wife was bathing.

She looked beautiful and sensual; the way in which she carefully rubbed her skin with the fragrant flowers, is alluring. He admired her until a sound outside the cave captured his attention. Being the overly protective husband, he rushed silently to the mouth of the cave.

Making sure his body remained hidden in the shadows as he watched for what could have made the sound. Eye found nothing out of the unusual, yet he could not put

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Nirvatra his survival instincts at rest. He had a bad feeling about exiting the cave. He returned to his wife as she poured the remainder of the water over her head.

“My love, is there another way out of this cave?” He picks up their bundles.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Nalah asked concerned.

She stood naked before her husband as she squeezed the flower water out of her hair.

“The past may have caught up to us,” Kahlan answered; he couldn’t lie to her. She was a capable warrior, and he knew two warriors on guard were much better than one.

“Two weeks ago, I made an emergency bundle, just in case.” She pointed to a bundle in a nearby corner of the cave.

Nalah walked over to a small pile of her clothes and adornments. She dressed quickly as she thought quietly; Nalah was still determining another entrance. But as a slight wind traveled through the cave, it reminded her of a lesson her father had taught her when they were collecting herbs together one day. There was a plant that grew at an opening in the ceiling of most caves. The wind would

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April Thomas blow through the hole giving the cave additional ventilation, and judging by the freshness of the air in that cave, there had to be at least three. She turned to her husband and stretched out her arm. “Follow me,” she said, taking hold of his hand. Each day she would roam the cave and find a cavern room growing the same herbs her father and she had searched for. However, they needed help to scale the wall from the inside. She decided to explore another part of the cave she had not gone through before.

He followed his wife through an unchartered passageway through the cave. Occasionally Nalah would stop sharing a part of what her father taught her and pass to feel which direction the wind was traveling through the cave. Joy strikes her when she finds the first opening in the cave ceiling, but it is not wide enough for them to pass through. “There has to be another one nearby,” Nalah said as her eyes scanned the cave ceiling.

Kahlan searched with her. “There!” he shouted, pointing to a section of the ceiling. “How will we get up there?” he asked.

“We climb those vines leading up and out,” Nalah said, pointing to think vines securely climbing up the cave walls.

Kahlan thought about his wife falling from such a height and began having second thoughts; he couldn’t bear the

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Nirvatra thought of losing her. Nalah seemed to sense his hesitation and turned to face him. “I trust you sense some danger lurking near the cave entrance. This is our only way out; the best part is we can peek over the edge to see who may be lingering around the cave’s entrance.”

“Please, Nalah, I don’t want you to get hurt,” Kahlan said gently.

“I won’t get hurt,” she said planting a soft kiss on his lips.

He wanted more but now was not the time. “Whatever you do, don’t fall, please, “he pleaded.

Nalah smiled and shook her head in amusement.

“Let’s go.”

They climbed carefully up the cave’s walls selecting old, thick, vigorous vines that they believed could carry their weight. It took an hour, but they made it to the opening in the cave’s ceiling and happily stood on the earth above the cave.

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April Thomas “Be careful where you walk; you don’t want to fall back into the cave,” Nalah warned him.

They both crawled carefully to the edge overlooking the cave’s entrance. They were surprised to see the old man speaking to a Navah warrior.

“What should we do now?” Nalah asked her husband.

“I need to get you somewhere safe,” he kept a steady watch on the group of warriors below. “And then I will have to chat with my father.”

“Kahlan no,” Nalah protested.

“We will discuss it later; right now, we have to get out of here,” he replied as he watched the old man disappear into the cave entrance.

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Nirvatra ☀ Takka and Nijah had followed the trail of the Navahs since they had entered Nirvatran territory, which wasn’t hard since they came with horse-drawn carriages. A hunt for Nalah and Kahlan to be found and brought to the camp for questioning was in order. Takka demanded that he and his son be the ones to get his daughter and Kahlan in. They were proficient in remaining hidden while following the Navah warriors. They observed as they abandoned the carriages and went on foot, being led by an old man who brought them to a secluded cave. Now they both prayed that Nalah was not in there because it would be certain death for her.

“Nalah is highly skilled,” Nijah reminded his father.

He could see the concern for his daughter’s welfare now pouring out of him. Although Takka was cold toward what needed to be done with her. Ultimately, he was a father, and this was his only little girl.

“We are outnumbered. There should be an opening through the top of the cave. I hope our vine is long enough,” Takka spoke in a low voice to his son. He tugged on Nijah to follow him. They traveled quietly, avoiding the warriors and secretly making their way to the left side of the cave, where they found a path leading above the cave.

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April Thomas “Father, look!” Nijah said to his father while pointing at footprints near an opening in the cave’s roof.

“They escaped,” Takka sighed.

“We must get to them first. It’s only a matter of time before they are found,” Nijah added, looking around to see where the tracks had led.

“Let’s cover their tracks and wait and see what the Navah will do next,” Takka suggested. “Your sister knows this forest like the back of her hand.”

Nijah nodded in agreement with his father. He, too, was relieved that his sister was safe. A loud commotion was heard below them, and they raced to the edge of the cave, falling to their knees and getting as low as possible as they looked over the edge. The leader was arguing with the old man, who was now on his knees pleading for his life...

“You have wasted our time with your foolish fairytales and childish games. Where is he?!” the leader shouted.

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Nirvatra “I do not tell fairytales, and I have not misled you. They were here. Your prince is a skilled hunter; maybe he became aware of our presence.” Talon answered. He looked up into the leader’s eyes. He was cold and unmoved; the tip of his sword was pressed against Talon’s neck breaking the skin. Dark green blood trickled down his chest.

“What use are you to us now?” The leader, named Ian, glared down at the old man. He was eager to kill off the old man. He had slowed them down enough. Ian felt that they could find Kahlan on their own.

“If they create an offspring, our future will no longer exist,” Talon insisted.

“Well, we can accomplish our mission a lot easier without you slowing us down,” Ian said before driving the sword through the old man’s neck. He pulled out his sword and watched the old man die as he grinned in delight.

“Sir, we may have discovered how they got out,” a warrior said approaching him.

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April Thomas “How?” Ian asked.

“We believe they scaled the walls, then used a vine to climb across the rook of the cave and out a small opening.” the warrior answered.

“Gather everyone,” Ian began to instruct him as he took a significant step back, looking up at the cave. His eye caught a strange movement, and he wondered if they were still there watching them. “We need to move fast; they are close.”

The warrior left quickly, rounding up all twenty warriors. They quickly made their way to the top of the cave but found no one. It took them a little while, but they did find two pairs of tracks. The leader gave the command to follow the ways, and they were off in pursuit of Kahlan and Nalah.

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Chapter 18

Bird’s eye

“I don’t think that we are being followed,” Nalah said as she came to a stop. She was out of breath and needed a break.

Kahlan came to a halt also and turned around to face his wife. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, just out of breath,” she answered between breaths.

He glanced up at a nearby tree that reached high above the forest. His first thought was to climb the tree to get a bird’s eye view of the forest below them. He needed to see if they were being followed. “Find a place to hide and rest while I climb this tree,” he instructed.

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Nirvatra Nalah nodded and found a spot behind some bushes where she could rest. Kahlan waited until his wife was well hidden before running towards the tree and taking a giant leap in the air. His left foot landed on the tree’s trunk, and he used the momentum of his energy to push him up toward a higher branch within his reach. It took him a few minutes to leap and glide to his desired branch to overview the forest. He sat on the branch motionless as he waited for any movement below. He didn’t want to give them time to catch up; however, he knew eventually, they would have to stop running. He carefully weighed his options. He had to find a way to get a message across to his father. He did not want to face his father and follow through on tradition.

Satisfied they were not being followed, he climbed down the tree and sought out his wife. She fell asleep, resting her head on her arm. He found a safe place to stay until he could figure out their next move. Just as he was about to move off in search of a home, a Nirvatran bird landed on his path. Startled by the strangeness of the Bird’s intense stare at him, he stopped and looked at the Bird. The Bird began to channel to him, and he could hear the Bird’s words in his mind.

“There is a place where you can take Nalah and be safe for a very long time.” the Bird spoke.

“Where?” Kahlan asked.

“Pick up your wife and follow me,” the Bird ordered.

“How do I know this is not a trick from her people?”

Kahlan questioned, suddenly becoming defensive.

“People are always afraid of change, but the Navah should be the only ones afraid...you can trust me. I want

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April Thomas you both to succeed; it means the future of our world.” The Bird said, then spread its wings and began to fly. “Now, follow me!”

Kahlan turned and picked up his wife, then followed the Bird. He was led to a shallow stream where he had to walk through the water. Khalan did as he was told by the Bird and then walked toward the left of what looked like a large boulder. A cave opening appeared, and the Bird flew in passed them. Surprisingly, the cave opened up into a large room.

“You cannot live on the lower level. Each evening it fills with water.” the Bird informed him. “This is an ancient cave, long forgotten. See that stairway; it leads up to a higher level. There you can have a safe dwelling for your wife.”

“How can I thank you?” Kahlan asked.

“Thank all of us for never giving up,” the Bird answered, then flew out of the cave, leaving them alone.

Nalah woke slowly, confused about what had just happened. He gently placed her feet on the ground and embraced her. “We can rest safely for some time now,” he said.

“Where are we?” Nalah asked, looking around.

“It’s an ancient cave. We have to get up those stairs; by late evening, this area will all be underwater,” Kahlan answered.

“Are you sure we are safe?” Nalah asked, pulling away and looking about the cave further.

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Nirvatra “Yes. We are...for now,” Kahlan answered, taking her hand and leading her toward the old, chiseled stairway carved out of the cave’s walls. ☀ Ian and his men followed the tracks until they led to the edge of a cliff. They had been fooled. Ian peered over the cliff’s edge, angry by the deception. He had fallen for a rookie move, and his pride was now killing him. Moving away from the cliff’s edge, Ian had to re-gather his thoughts. He looked at the crowd of warriors. Initially, he was sure this would be a simple mission; Pandu informed him that Kahlan was not in his right mind and would be an easy kill. The old man was not only annoying to deal with but also useless. Ian knew what had to be done. He got all of his men’s attention.

“Things will be done my way now!” he began while signaling to his first officer Neb. As the officer approached, he began to give him instructions quietly. “Take the warriors back; tell Pandu I will bring back Kahlan’s head and kill his bride. I want you to go to the village and get my mother and sister on your way back. Tell no one.”

“Yes sir,” Neb answered. “But how will I find you?”

“I will set up a camp at that cave; if I am lucky, they will return, and this will all be over,” Ian replied.

Ian turned his attention back toward the crowd of men.

“It’s easy for Kahlan and his bride to avoid a war party of this size...however, let’s see him outmaneuver me! Neb will inform the king of the change. Go!” Without any protest, the men left, returning to their

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April Thomas Kingdom. Ian watched as they disappeared into the forest.

A grim smile grew across his face, now he would be able to seek out Kahlan stealthily, and when his mother and sister arrived, it would make finding them a lot easier. Ian took a second look at the tracks they were following. Something had been odd about them, but he was too eager to find Kahlan that he had not stopped to truly process the footprints. One pair did seem a bit smaller than the other, but not by much.

From Pandu’s description of the Nirvatran woman Kahlan has been seduced by, she was a small-framed woman. However, the footprints seem to come from two men.

Ian’s body suddenly became erect, and his eyes searched wildly through the surrounding forest for the two men.

Had he willingly placed himself in a trap? How would they know he would send all of his men back? He slowly drew his sword from its sheath as he looked around. He turned slowly, looking intensely into the forest. As he completed his 360-degree turn, he met with a woman.

Ian gasped as he took a step backward and stumbled; he looked at her. Bewildered by her presence and beauty, she peered at him, silently observing him. The stranger wore a white leather top and breechclouts; her skin was a soft lilac but also seemed to mix with a pale blue. She had large wings that resembled a butterfly, and her hair hung around her shoulders in neat dreads. Her silence was deafening, and Ian could not take his eyes off her long enough to figure out if she was alone. He paid careful attention to the dagger and club in her hands. She looked to be no match for him size-wise, yet he was intimidated by her sheer presence.

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Nirvatra As she began to look away from him, taking a step to walk around him, he asked boldly. “Do you like what you see?”

She stopped abruptly and glared at him.” No!” she said, striking him with the club and knocking him unconscious. ☀ For the past eight hours, Neb led the remaining war party back towards Navah. Still, he had no clue that they were being followed. Takka maintained a close eye on the war party as they waited for more warriors of their tribe to meet up with them. They planned to ambush and kill the Navah warriors before they could make it back to their realm. He knew that they would reach the domain in just a few more hours, and carriages would be there waiting for them to be taken to the Kingdom.

Three more hours passed, and Takka had to do something, or it would be too late. The men were now preparing to enter the cold by wearing heavier clothing. Takka took action to startle the group of warriors, he knew he was risking his life, but he had to do something. He jumped down from a tree that placed him right before the border’s multi-dimensional wall. The warriors drew their swords, and Takka began to fight them all. Shortly after, Nijah and about twenty Nirvatran warriors appeared and joined in helping Takka to defeat and kill all of the warriors except for one. A Nirvatran warrior was overpowered and killed

by Neb, who escaped by running into his dimension. Nijah started to pursue him, but his father pulled him back.

“Enough warriors have died today,” his father said, looking around at the nine remaining warriors.

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April Thomas “They will be back,” Nijah warned his father.

“And we will be ready,” Takka replied, placing a firm grip on his son’s shoulder. “You fought well today.”

“We are sorry we took so long. Many feel we should refrain from getting involved in what Nalah has done.

These warriors are the only ones who did not feel that way,” Nijah informed his father.

“Then we must honor them greatly for their sacrifice,” Takka said, looking at the dead bodies of his tribesmen.

“Build a fire; let’s get rid of our enemy’s remains. And as for our warriors...we must carry them back home for a proper burial.” Takka instructed his son as the remaining warriors gathered around them. ☀ Neb ran non-stop until he reached the awaiting horsedrawn carriages that had been waiting for the returning party. He shouted at the diver to go as he jumped into the carriage. “To the palace?” the driver confirmed.

“No!” Neb shouted back. “Take me to the mother of Ian!” “Yes, Sir,” the driver replied as the carriage yanked into action.

Neb settled back into the carriage, bitterly angry by what took place. He no longer cared about informing Pandu first as he was ordered. He knew that Ian, his commanding officer, and a long-time friend, could be

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Nirvatra in grave danger. After speaking with Ian’s mother, he would notify Pandu of what had happened. Still, for now, Ian’s mother would be a powerful asset.

☀ On the Nirvatran beach sat a large round hut. It was now late evening, and the sky had dimmed. A fire crackled, and the smell of meat cooking on a pit filled the air of a cozy home. This was the home of Dazima; very few people knew where she lived, and she did not enjoy inviting visitors to her house. Dazima loved her privacy and solitude. So, her recent actions were not like her at all.

Dazima stood over the Navah warrior. He was bound and gagged, still unconscious from the whack on his head. He was a large handsome man, she admitted to herself. However, his ego was repulsive to her. He slowly began to regain consciousness. He groaned as he slowly moved his head around while opening his eyes. Dazima took a step back from observing him and sat on a boulder across from him. She had brought him to her secret dwelling and was now struggling to figure out what to do with him. She should have killed him but was plagued with a question in her spirit concerning him and his people. It was a question that came to her when she married Kahlan and Nalah.

Ian groaned as his eyes met Dazima’s. She leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. “I will ask you one question,” she began. “Is love stronger than death?”

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Chapter 19

The Witches Navah was not just a cold dark place physically and emotionally but also spiritually. They lived in a realm that avoided The Supreme Being’s presence, which is how they wanted it. Since the great separation, the Navah did everything in their power to destroy Nirvatra, but they were never successful. The only thing they had been successful with was creating the great divide between what was one nation of united people.

The Navah people’s physical appearance had changed considerably. Their blue skin was not as vivid as it once was. Still, some had taken on more elaborate physical changes that seemed to speak about the vanity and ego they carried in their selfish black hearts.

At one point in her life, Vanda was an unpleasant, overweight woman who longed to be thinner and more attrac-

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April Thomas tive to all. She wanted men to worship her and women to want to be like her. When the Navah movement started, a man named Zigor approached Vanda; he was a leading campaign member and tall and handsome too. Vanda was a desperate woman to the point that any man who looked in her direction made her want to do anything he asked of her. He quickly convinced her to join the movement promising her beauty and much more. After she joined the campaign by signing a contract and drinking a black potion, she woke the following day more beautiful than any other woman in her village. She sought out Zigor when he laid eyes on her; he ravished her falling deep in lust with her. Everyone became jealous of the new couple. Not too long later, Vanda became pregnant, and they were married. On their wedding day, Zigor was murdered. Vanda gave birth to her son Ian alone and brokenhearted.

The other women did not treat Vanda kindly. Many called her a whore and blamed her for the death of Zigor, saying it was her beauty that drove men insane. She ignored them and continued to flaunt her beauty in everyone’s faces. She wore revealing clothing and belittled every man and woman in her village. When her son Ian was just nine months old, she was brutally raped by an unknown man. No one believed that she had been raped, and nine months later, she gave birth to a baby girl named Yanamari.

Yanamari is a natural beauty, and as much as anyone hated to admit it, they admired her long dark hair, beautiful face, and shapely body. Her mother envied her and did her best to keep her hidden from the world. All eyes could only be on Vanda and not her daughter. The older Vanda got, the fewer clothes she wore. Despite the bitter cold and disgusted stares, she continued to flaunt what

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Nirvatra was left of her beauty, and that was not very much.

Neb had finally made it to his destination. He quickly jumped out of the carriage and ran to the front door of Vanda’s home. After a few muffled voices, Vanda opened the door wearing a seductive outfit. Neb’s eyes quickly looked past her to admire Yanamari; how he yearned to have a taste of her…

“What do you want, Neb?!” Vanda scolded as she wrapped a robe around herself.

“Your son summons both you and your daughter. He needs your help in Nirvatra.” Neb answered, doing his best to keep his focus on Vanda.

Vanda sighed in disgust. “Is he stupid? He knows I am converted; I cannot go to Nirvatra without Pandu’s permission.”

“Well then, maybe...” Neb began looking back at Yanamari.

“Don’t even think of it!” Vanda shouted. “We will go to the kingdom and ask Pandu’s permission now.”

“Certainly,” Neb sighed.

“We will be ready in five minutes,” Vanda said, then slammed the door in his face.

Three hours later, Vanda and Yanamari emerged from the cottage and entered the carriage. Neb was too happy to finally be on their way that he didn’t even question their timing. It took another hour or more to reach the palace, and now Neb and Vanda stood before Pandu.

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April Thomas Pandu became angry as he listened to the details of all that took place in Nirvatra. He stood and paced the floor close to his throne for a moment. And then plopped back down into the comforts of his throne. “Let me get this mess straight in my mind.” he began to speak after fifteen minutes. “My son...Kahlan, My very own flesh and blood...He has somehow fallen into a mental illness that has defied the cure. He killed his new bride and his mother, maybe, and then escaped to Nirvatra, and married the same despicable creature...and... My best warriors can’t find him, and all were slaughtered but you, who escaped...barely. Kahlan must be stopped. Eris’ family is seeking revenge; they will declare war on our kingdom if I don’t bring him before their court.” Pandu’s eyes shifted to Vanda. “And you? Why would your son request you? What can a witch do?”

“I can use my abilities to find and lure the lovers out of hiding. I can put a final end to this madness,” Vanda answered him with great confidence.

“I’m not a fan of anything you are offering. I don’t believe in good or bad. Furthermore, I believe you and your kids are truly insane.” Pandu replied as he rolled his eyes at her.

“Look at the pattern your son is displaying; it’s only a matter of time before he grows a pair and challenges you for the kingdom.” Vanda returned, unafraid of being reprimanded for her rudeness.

“You forget your place, witch!” Pandu shouted.

“I am doing my part. The Nirvatrans are spiritual people. You have to fight them on their own level. You can

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Nirvatra spend the rest of your life searching for Kahlan and his wife, and you will never find them. You know why?” she paused, waiting for Pandu to answer, who only glared at her. “Because the eyes you need to see, you do not possess. Let me do what I have been gifted to do.”

“You are a converted one...you will have to retake the oath,” Pandu reminded her.

“I would not have it any other way,” Vanda replied.

“You will leave your daughter here,” Pandu ordered as he stared at Yanamari lustfully. She stood a short distance away, observing everything. It was her first time seeing the palace.

“Your highness, her presence has also been requested,” Neb spoke up suddenly.

“She is a witch too?” Pandu questioned Vanda.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Pity,” he sighed as he changed his focus. “So be it.” he nodded to a servant nearby who left the chambers shortly and then returned with three men in dark cloaks. Vanda took a second oath to always stay loyal and faithful to Navah and never return to the Nirvatran way of life, or she would face a slow and painful death.

“I will respect Ian’s wishes and hold back on sending another war party back with you all...for now. I will send a spy who will report to me on your progress. Based on his reports, I will decide on when I should send in the war party.” Pandu informed them.

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April Thomas “Your Highness, I must inform you that by my presence entering into the Nirvatran realm, we will be declaring a spiritual war on Nirvatra.” Vanda had to be clear about what her presence meant to the Nirvatra people.

Pandu, unfamiliar with the ancient laws, summoned an official historian who stood before Pandu and read him the law about declaring a spiritual war on Nirvatra. The historian announced: “When an appointed Navah witch gains permission to enter the Nirvatran realm, it will declare war on the Nirvatran people. The border between our two worlds will vanish, and warriors from either side will fight to the death for the kingdom and land of their enemy. Once the barrier is destroyed, it cannot be rebuilt, and the grand witch will be the only one who can send out commands concerning the war. Pandu can only give advice and suggestions concerning the war.” The historian rolled up the scroll he read from, and Pandu glared at Vanda intensely.

“I suppose this was a little information you had hoped I would not discover,” Pandu shouted.

Neb glared at Vanda; now, everything could be ruined because of her selfish power trip. “Your Highness, with Kahlan insane and lost, there is no telling what may happen to our kingdom. We may not have a choice in this matter,” he suggested seeing that Pandu was backing out of the plan to send Vanda into the Nirvatran realm.

Pandu glanced at Neb and then back at Vanda. “I suppose my hands are tied,” he relented but then grinned as a thought crossed his mind. “We will send Yanamari out first.”

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Nirvatra Vanda opened her mouth to protest, but Pandu spoke before she could utter a single word.

“She is a witch, and I am sure she is competent,” he said crookedly.

“Your highness, she is just a girl; she cannot go without some sort of protection,” Vanda said, trying to convince him to at least allow her passage with her daughter.

“I have heard about your daughter’s mastery of seduction. You taught her well, did you not?” He asked but did not wait for an answer. “I’m certain she can seduce my son and bring him back without causing a war,” Pandu added. Before Vanda could say another word, Pandu ordered Yanamari to be taken to the border and sent through. ☀ Ian watched Dazima as she paced the floor of her cottage.

He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for her; this scared him to the core. He had been warned about the sickness. He thought that the black drink would guard his heart against it, but it seemed like nothing could protect him against her beauty. He had never seen anything like her. Wings...the wings alone confused him. They moved with her and collapsed, tucking behind her as if they were never there, but he could tell she loved them out and accessible. She knew she was beautiful, and he wanted to dive into her world and understand everything about her.

“Tell me!” she began pulling him out of his thoughts.

“How can I kill your kind? How can I cure you fools of your stupidity?” She asked boldly.

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April Thomas “How can you kill me?” Ian scoffed.

“What?” Dazima questioned as she stopped pacing.

“We are enemies!”

“If I could get out of these...”

“You would what? Kill me!” Dazima shouted, getting in his face.

Ian glared at her, his handsome face remained stone cold, but his lips ached to kiss her. He turned his head away from her. “I’m not going to tell you how to kill me!”

“Fair enough,” Dazima sighed. “Why have you come after my friends?”

“Your friends?” he questioned.

“Kahlan and Nalah?” Dazima clarified.

“I was sent by his father!” he answered, aggravated by her questioning.

“And, what is his father afraid of?” Dazima asked nonchalantly as she floated around the room, fiddling with different objects.

“Pandu has no fears,” Ian laughed.

“If he had no fears, he wouldn’t be a prisoner of his own home,” Dazima replied.

“He is not a prisoner; he can come and go as he pleases,” Ian returned.

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Nirvatra “So why doesn’t he?” He has a horde of fools guarding him with their lives, and he’s in his own home. If he had no fear, he should be able to walk around without worry or concern for his personal well-being.” Dazima summed up. “So, I ask you again...What is Pandu afraid of?” she now focused all her attention on him.

Ian grumbled something under his breath and looked away from her. “Why don’t you tell me since you’re so damn smart.

“Hmmm,” she moaned unknowingly, causing soothing vibrations to run up his spine. “Well, Kahlan is the prince, but how does a prince become a king?” she questioned more.

Ian realized she would catch on to Pandu’s weaknesses and wanted to through her off. “The prince murdered his new bride...Pandu has to present his son to his in-laws for execution.” Ian spoke. It was the truth; however, he was still determining if it would be enough to keep her off the path leading to Pandu’s weaknesses.

“You know more than you say...And I know how to get it out of you.” Dazima smiled.

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Chapter 20

For My Family

Maneena woke abruptly from her troubled sleep to men arguing outside her hut. It sounded like her Husband and son had returned with the other warriors, but something was terribly wrong. She quickly dressed and exited her place to see women mourning the dead that had been brought in on three large travoises. She instantly fell to her knees, sobbing over the loss of life for each of the young men. Her Husband approached her, taking hold of her shoulders and pulling her up to her feet.

He embraced his wife firmly and then planted a kiss on her forehead. “We must honor these men greatly for the sacrifice they made for Nalah and our people,” he said.

“I am glad you and our son have returned home safely,

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Nirvatra but I am afraid of what’s to come. I could not sleep. I was constantly plagued with visions of what’s to come, and the worst part is I can’t find Nalah.” She told her Husband between sobs.

“All that I know is that they are safe for now. The war party that had come after they had to have missed them by mere moments,” Takka began to speak.

“Did you see them?” Maneena asked.

“No, but she found a way out; they both did. My love, she is not alone. We may not care for him, but from what Nijah has told me and what I have observed from him on my own. I know he loves her and will protect her with his life.”

Takka reassured his wife.

“I know, I know,” Maneena cried.

“My love, our people need you now more than ever.

Eleven of our warriors have passed away. They need guidance into the realm of eternal peace.” Takka said, encouraging his wife.

Maneena nodded as she stepped away from her Husband and approached the first travois. She knew each face most since they were born. The pain that gripped her felt as if her own son had died. The Chief was already standing before the people speaking to them, mourning with them, and praising the bravery of the young warriors. She knelt down beside the weeping mothers who cried over their sons. She turned to the women, and they embraced.

“His name is...” the mother began to say his name, but Maneena said his name.

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April Thomas “I know his name,” she said to the woman. “Would you like to hear his last message to you?” Maneena asked, taking the young man’s hand, then offering her other hand for the mother to hold. The mother nodded, unable to speak. “I will be your conduit for you and your son. I pray that whatever he tells you can bring you peace.” Once again, the mother nodded.

Maneena took a deep breath and took hold of the mother’s hand. Suddenly the young man’s voice could be heard in the minds of only Maneena and his mother. “Do not cry for me, mother. I fought bravely. I was unsure if it was a worthy cause when I left, but I knew I was doing the right thing when I reached there. I am a warrior for our people...now and always.”

His mother wept a mixture of joy, sorrow, and relief.

As Maneena let go of her hand, she embraced her again.

“Before he left, we argued. I didn’t want him to go. I don’t believe we should get involved in this as a tribe. I told him Nalah made her choice, and she was banished. We should not fight over a banished member.” She told her. “But I was wrong...and if the tables were turned. I would want someone to fight for my daughter too.”

“I’m sorry for putting you and all of our people in this situation; it’s unfair.” Maneena cried.

“Thank you...I needed to hear his last words,” the mother said, leaving her son’s side, unable to look upon his dead body.

“This is your entire fault!” A father of a dead warrior said as he stepped forward. “You and your family have put our tribe in danger. Not just our tribe, but all the nations

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Nirvatra who live here!”

Takka and the Chief stepped forward and pulled the father back, but others began to chime in. Soon enough, the entire tribe was in an uproar over the deaths of the eleven warriors; most blamed Nalah. The Chief felt deeply disturbed about the problems his tribe now faced; however, deep in his heart, he knew this was inevitable. It was only a matter of time before the Navah found a way to completely destroy Nirvatra; it was their ultimate goal.

The Chief stepped forward and demanded everyone’s attention. He waited patiently for the entire village to fall silent and for all minds to be focused on his words.

“We are a family...we are a tribe...we are all united beings.

And this is what sets us apart from the Navah. I have sat and spoken to Maneena, our spiritual leader. And family member who has helped birth many of the young men who have fallen here today into this world.” He said, moving his hand toward the three travoises of their dead.

“Nijah and Nalah did their part in protecting our people.

Nalah willingly accepted her banishment to help protect the security of her people. She is just a young being...she had no clue that all of this would transpire through her choices. She cannot be fully blamed for what would have happened eventually. It has been told to me my father and grandfather of the day when the great change will begin.

We need to be fully aware of what all this means. We do not know if this change will be for us or against us, but we cannot begin to act like the Navah because of it. We are stronger than our challenges. We are stronger than our adversaries. We are stronger than the evil that destroys life. “He paused and looked among the faces of his people.” My heart aches for each and every one of you. The joy I feel when I see our children playing around the village,

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April Thomas Our elders teaching the young, Our warriors fighting in battle...Today was a tragedy, and I can’t tell you that tomorrow will be any better. All that I know is that we must be better. We have to be better. So, let’s celebrate life, not mourn death. Let’s prepare ourselves and our children for the possible war ahead. This war has been lingering above our heads for generations. I am tired of our young people being hunted. I am tired of Navah crossing into our lands and tracking in evil. It’s time to fight; it’s time to stop being a victim. Nalah saw something in the Navah prince that was worth saving; Nalah saw something in that being that she believed was worth fighting for.

Let us follow her lead and fight with our most powerful muscle...Our Heart!” The Chief shouted out, raising his war club in the air.

The tribe erupted in the celebration by jumping up and cheering the Chief while chanting his name. The remained of the evening was spent in celebration over the lives of the eleven dead warriors. Some parents still felt bitter and returned to their huts to mourn alone, but no one spoke up against the Chief.

Maneena channeled the spirits of the young warriors with the parents, who did allow her to help them. Each warrior was cleansed and dressed in their full warrior regalia. Then buried around the outskirts of the village like the warriors who died before them.

Feeling exhausted from the array of emotions and being a conduit for the dead. Maneena returned to her hut to rest, and her Husband followed her. Takka felt remorseful for the way he had left before. He failed her as a husband and the father of their daughter. “I am sorry, my love. I spoke harsh words to you before I left. I was angry at our daughter and said things a father should never say about his daughter,” he said, approaching her.

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Nirvatra Maneena had her back to him but turned to face him after he spoke. “We have never been here before...we gave birth to them...but not life. We have no right to take that away. Only The Creator has that right,” She told him.

“Do you forgive me?” he asked, approaching her with open arms.

“Of course, my love.” Maneena hugged him tightly and was suddenly stricken with an intense vision.

In her vision, she saw a Navah witch crossing into the Nirvatran realm. As the witch entered, the barrier fell, and a war was declared. She saw warriors from all over Nirvatra fighting against warriors from Navah. She also saw spiritual warriors coming together to fight against the grand witch and all of the witches of Navah. The battle was epic, and she could not foresee the outcome. A sorrowful time was ahead of them...the deaths we had today were only the beginning.

Moments later, she awoke to her Husband fanning her and the Chief standing over her. “What did you see?” The Chief asked, knowing she had a vision.

“A war!” Maneena cried out. “We have to prepare our people. We have to protect our children. Summon the spiritual warriors of our land.” she demanded.

“All of them?” The Chief asked.

“Yes!” Maneena cried. “All of them.”

“Will call all the chiefs of all Nirvatran tribes, all may not want to join us, and some may blame us for what has happened.” The Chief warned.

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April Thomas “You are the only one who can unite all of our people.

You are the one who has been granted the power to do so,” Maneena replied.

The Chief nodded and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Get some rest. You’re going to need it.” ☀ Kahlan and Nalah sat across from each other, enjoying a delicious meal. Nalah felt the time was finally right for her to tell him the big news. She smiled nervously as she worked out the words in her mind.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Kahlan asked curiously. He picked up more meat and ripped off a piece of the stonebaked bread. “You are a genius with food,” he mumbled between bites.

“Thank you,” she smiled while waiting for him to finish eating. “I’m full,” she added.

“I was full a long time ago, I just love the flavor and the textures,” Kahlan laughed as he finally stopped eating. He washed his hands in a nearby wooden bowl filled with water.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Nalah began.

“First, you have to come here,” he flirted.

Nalah blushed and crawled over to her Husband, then nuzzled her body against his. They both got comfortable as she began to speak. “In seven months, you will be a father,” she blurted out.

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Nirvatra “What?” Kahlan said, sitting up straight and forcing her to look at him. “Are you saying...?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he asked, concerned.

“I didn’t want you to freak out; we were not in a safe place...” she began to explain.

“But what if we never found a safe place?” Kahlan asked.

“I couldn’t hide this any longer,” she giggled.

“This is no place to have a baby!” Kahlan blurted, looking around the cave.

“We will manage,” Nalah said after laughing at her Husband’s outburst.

“Yes, but we are running and hiding; this is no situation to bring a life into,” he returned.

“Everything happens when it’s supposed to. Let’s just take things one day at a time. Tomorrow let’s explore this cave and see how we can turn it into a palace.” Nalah said to her Husband, doing her best to bring him comfort.

“Anywhere with you is a kingdom...you are my palace,” he smiled, pulling her close to him. He rested his hand on her belly. “So it begins,” he said, then kissed her cheek.

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Chapter 21

Closed Off Yanamari had entered the Nirvatran realm and did not hesitate to locate and seduce Kahlan as the king ordered her. Before leaving Navah, she returned home to her cottage and put together a powder that she had to take in large doses until her skin turned to the vivid blue that most Nirvatrans possessed. She did a quick research on the tribes there and dressed accordingly. She looked and moved like a true Nirvatran; this would make it easy for her to find and seduce Kahlan.

She traveled by horse to where Kahlan and Nalah were spotted. The dead body of the older man still lay there.

Not even the wild animals wanted anything to do with the meat on his bones. Yanamari shook her head at the sight of the dead man’s carcass. “What a waste!” she grumbled.

She jumped off of her horse and walked into the cave.

She observed everything Kahlan and Nalah had left behind. She had to admit that she grew envious, but still,

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April Thomas she laughed and mocked their life. Eventually, she came across Kahlan’s broken spear. She smiled as she held it in her hand. “The hunter has now become the hunted.” ☀ It was early morning, and Kahlan was still asleep. Nalah could not sleep any longer and decided to begin her day as her husband slept. She took advantage of the freshwater just a few feet away, stripped off all her clothes, and eased into the cool water. It was refreshing and soothing, a perfect way to start the day.

Nalah swam for an hour, enjoying the feel of water wrapped around her bare skin. When the water level lowered to about three feet deep, she noticed an opening in the cave wall barricaded with large stones and moss. It was a small handmade dam. However, it was slowly collapsing.

The water level lowered another two feet, and now Nalah threaded through shallow waters towards what looked to be a handmade dam. She gently pulled on the moss tucked between the stones and removed a medium size stone from the barricade. She peeked through the small opening to see another cavern.

By this time, Kahlan had awoken to see his wife peering through a hole in the wall. He made his way down the handmade steps and quietly wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on the nape of her neck. Nalah smiled but did not take her eyes off the hidden cave. “I think that we may have a solution to our problem,” she said, stepping aside so he could look through the opening.

“I want you to stay here while I figure out if this would make a good home for our little one,” Kahlan told her after

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Nirvatra peering through the opening.

Nalah gave Kahlan space to clear away all the stones and moss. He noticed a collection of a specific type of rock. He kept them all together, seeing that it may be for an important reason. He stepped through the opening once he made it large enough. The cavern was grand, and he could see evidence that a large tribe had once called it home. He stepped down into a pond of fresh, clean drinkable water. The ones who lived here before had created it.

Kahlan roamed the cavern doing his best to piece together the mystery of what caused the abandonment.

After a satisfying inspection of the cave, he helped his wife into the cave. “I think that we will be safer over here.

I don’t know why it was abandoned, but it will make a much better home than over there.” He said.

“This is huge,” Nalah expressed as she walked around.

“There’s an opening at the top,” he pointed out to a wide rectangle shape opening; it brought in a healthy dose of sunlight and seemed positioned right to keep the home hidden from their enemies.

“I think we should bring the rest of our stuff over and the patch back up that wall,” Nalah suggested.

“Oh, this is not a wall. It’s a filter,” Kahlan replied excitedly.

“What’s that?” Nalah asked as she walked towards a shimmer on the cave wall.

Kahlan followed her, curious about what she was seeing. He hadn’t noticed anything. He watched as Nalah touched a particular part of the wall but shouted at her

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April Thomas to stop when her hand disappeared into the wall. “What is that?” he asked, taking her hand and ensuring she was okay.

“I think it’s a portal,” Nalah replied.

Kahlan touched where his wife had touched, and nothing happened. “It only reacts to you?” he noted.

“I have always heard about them but never seen one,” Nalah stated.

“I don’t know what all this is about, but just promise me that you will stay away from this for now,” Kahlan pleaded softly.

“Of course,” Nalah replied, looking into his eyes. She could see that the portal disturbed him.

“Let’s bring out things over and reseal the wall. I can repair the filter so we won’t have to go out to get drinkable water.” Kahlan added.

It took them two hours to resettle into their new home.

Nalah grew tired and decided to nap while Kahlan finished repairing the water filter system and created a natural pipe system carrying water to a secret cavern where they could shower. The Navah people had a more modern way of living, including indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences that Nirvatrans avoided. He was unsure how Nalah would feel about it but wanted her to try it.

After checking on her, he took up his hunting spears and searched for food. He exited through the hidden opening he had found earlier. He kept the tucked-away

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Nirvatra cave entrance hidden, fearing someone might come across the gap and his sleeping wife while he was away.

Kahlan traveled a far distance from the cave and was very careful to observe his surroundings. While he hunted, he could sense a change in the atmosphere, and he did not like it. Something ominous was heading their way, and he could feel it in his spirit. Thunder cracked, and lightning shot across the sky. It was the first time he had seen such a sudden change in the weather happening in Nirvatra.

Kahlan decided it was time to return to the cave; he was eager to see and hold his wife. ☀ She watched him walk around the forest cautiously.

Secretly admiring his handsome features and the way he moved. She never attended any of the royal functions.

She could care less about the royal family, yet the more she thought about seducing Kahlan, the more she fantasized about how much her life would change. She had allowed her mother to keep her hidden because she did not see a single Navah man worth her time, and at her social level, wealthy men were out of her reach. But Kahlan was a prince, and even though he appeared to want nothing to do with his kingdom, with a bit of seduction and convincing, she could become the queen of Navah. The more she thought about the possibilities, the more she became willing to do anything to live the life Yanamari felt she deserved.

Her original plan would not work, at least not for Nalah.

She knew Nalah would see right through her. Yanamari came up with a better plan. She realized he was now a different man suffering from the sickness; she planned to use it to her advantage. She would play the role of a Nirvatran captured by a Navah who used and abused her since she was a small child. Yanamari reared up her horse and

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April Thomas then directed him toward Kahlan.

Startled, he turned to see a Navah horse charging at him and a distressed woman screaming as if she had no control over the horse. She fell off the horse, and both her legs smashed against a large boulder breaking one of them. She screamed out in excruciating pain. Kahlan had jumped out of the way of the horse and quickly approached.

“My leg!” She cried out; blood gushed from both her legs.

Kahlan knelt beside her to see how he could help to stop the bleeding. He looked around at the nearby shrubs but did not see the ones he used when injured.

He needed Nalah but had to stop the bleeding first. He looked through his leather hunting pouch and found large strips of leather that Nalah had placed in the bag for him if he ever got injured while hunting. He did his best to stabilize her injuries; eventually, she passed out from the pain. He left, dropping off what he had hunted at the cave, then returning with his wife.

Nalah glanced down at the injured woman. She felt guilt for her instance disdain for this woman. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but this woman rubbed her the wrong way. She cleared her thoughts and put her personal feelings aside. “We need water, and... Over there, you see those flowers. They will help stop the bleeding.” She said, pointing to a group of flowers a short distance away.

“I saw a stream not too far away,” Kahlan replied.

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Nirvatra “I will do all I can until you return,” Nalah said, walking towards the flowers.

Kahlan hesitated; he didn’t want to leave his wife. He had no clue where this woman came from but understood she was in danger. He thought back to the horse she was riding and remembered it was a Navah horse. Yet, the woman looked to be Nirvatran.

“I will be fine, my love,” Nalah shouted over her shoulder, encouraging him to hurry.

He rushed off in the direction of the stream that he saw while hunting earlier. He collected the water in a water pouch. Another valuable tool Nalah had crafted for them.

When he returned, Nalah had stopped most of the bleeding and was investigating her injuries. He approached and handed her the water pouch.

“How does it look?” he asked.

“Not too good, but she will heal in time. One broken leg; the other has a nasty gash.” Nalah began to inform him.

“You know there is a river that the water heals, specifically broken bones, but it’s too dangerous for us to go there now and in her condition...”

“I know about that river; I bathed in it when I...” he didn’t finish his sentence. Nalah’s sympathetic eyes made his heart weak. “It’s all in the past now,” he ended.

“Sorry,” Nalah mouthed.

“No more. I’m sorry, we were different people,” he said, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

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April Thomas Nalah smiled and then poured the water on the wounds.

They did not instantly heal as she secretly hoped, but they cleaned the wounds. Nalah straightened her broken leg and covered it in petals of flowers to heal broken bones and open wounds. She made a splint for her leg and secured it with leather strips. She worked on the other leg quickly, then stood up, exhausted from working on her.

“Did you get her name?” Nalah asked her husband.

“No. I know nothing about her,” Kahlan answered.

“We can’t leave her here?” Nalah sighed, knowing the only option was to bring her into their home, the place where they wanted no one else other than themselves.

“I wish I could think of a better plan, but I can’t,” Kahlan replied.

“You are a Nirvatran now,” Nalah smiled.

“Yes, but...we have to think about our safety first,” he reminded her.

“So, what should we do?” Nalah questioned, looking back down at the injured woman.

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Chapter 22

Playing The Victim Together they struggled to devise an effective way to carry the strange woman without causing further injury to her broken leg. In the end, the only option was for Kahlan to hold her. He walked behind his wife as she led the way back home. As they reached the cave, Yanamari began to wake. Her plan had worked, but at what expense. She had not planned to get injured to this degree. Although she was in tremendous pain, she enjoyed being in Kahlan’s secure arms. Contempt grew in her heart as she glanced at Nalah.

“I’m glad you are awake,” Kahlan said breathlessly, exhausted from carrying her.

“Thank you for helping me,” Yanamari smiled.

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April Thomas Kahlan didn’t answer, focusing his energy on carrying her into the cave. Nalah quickly made a bed for her using the extra skins she had prepared. She placed the bed opposite where she and her husband set up their bed.

It was a reasonable distance away but not too far; they could not hear her call for help.

“What do they call you?” he asked as he gently laid her down on the bedding. Nalah stood nearby, ready to clean her wounds once more.

“Yanamari,” she answered. She wasn’t afraid of using her real name because she knew he would not have heard of her.

“Yanamari,” He repeated with a smile. He looked up at his wife, who was beginning to kneel down beside her.

“This is my wife, Nalah. She is the one you must thank. If your survival was left up to me solely, I’m sure you would not have made it,” he laughed lightly.

“Hello Yanamari, I will do my best to help you heal completely so you can return to your village. Which tribe are you from?” Nalah asked kindly.

Yanamari didn’t want to answer, afraid she would be found out. “I was taken from my village when I was a small child. I do not know my people,” she lied.

Kahlan instantly felt sorrow for this woman. He had heard other warriors talk of stealing young Nirvatran children. Treating them worse than insects and using them as slaves. It was another dark reminder of the cold-hearted people he left behind. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Kahlan said, taking her hand.

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Nirvatra “I finally escaped, but I could not control that horse. It was a miracle I made it so far.” Yanamari continued turning her attention to Kahlan.

“Well, you are safe now,” Nalah said, doing her best to hide her agitation.

“Do you know if anyone was following you?” Kahlan asked.

“I know they will eventually come looking for me; that’s why I tried to get as far away as possible.” Yanamari continued her fabricated story, gripping tight to Kahlan’s hand.

Kahlan began to feel uncomfortable with how much focus she had on him. He glanced at his wife and could tell she had seen enough. He looked back at Yanamari and gently pulled his hand away. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she smiled lightly.

“How is the royal family?” he asked curiously if she would have recognized him as the prince of Navah. His skin tone had changed dramatically, so it may have worked to conceal his identity, but he was interested in her answer.

“I was never allowed out unless it was to do chores. I have never seen the royal family or know anything about them,” she lied. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason, just curious.” Kahlan looked over to his wife and gently touched her hair and face. “What do you need me to make, my love?” he asked her.

Nalah blushed but did her best to hide it. “We need more water, and she will need to eat to help her body heal.” She

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April Thomas said, looking into his face. Her lips ached to touch his, and she secretly scorned their new guest for invading their happy home.

“I will get some water and prepare the meat,” Kahlan said as he stood to his feet.

“Also, I collected some medicine on the way home. It’s to help her with the pain. Can you bring me a small bowl so I can apply it to her wounds?”

“Of course, I will be right back,” he said to his wife.

“Yanamari, you are in excellent hands,” he said before leaving.

They placed Yanamari in a room in the large cave. Nalah and Kahlan could not ask for a better place to call home.

Across from the room where Yanamari would be staying, Kahlan had built an indoor shower; however, there was still a pond nearby that could be used to bathe in. Nalah liked the convenience that Kahlan was bringing to their home. She grew up in a very primitive way; Nirvatrans choose to keep things this way, uncertain of change and fearful of becoming like the Navah.

“You are a fortunate woman,” Yanamari said, pulling Nalah away from her thoughts.

Nalah smiled, “so are you.” she returned. “These injuries are bad. I will have to give you something that will keep you drowsy throughout the day, but it will help you with the pain. We can’t have you moving that leg much.”

Nalah pointed to her left leg.

“How bad is it?” Yanamari asked.

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Nirvatra “Pretty bad, it’s broken,” Nalah said, pointing to her right leg. “And this one is pretty banged up, but don’t worry. You are going to be okay.”

“How long do you think it will take to heal?” Yanamari asked.

“A month, but walking on that leg will take a lot longer. You don’t want to put all your weight on that leg for a long time,” Nalah answered.

“I don’t want to impose on you and your husband,” Yanamari lied.

“It’s okay...Thank the Creator for sending you to someone who could help you,” Nalah said kindly.

Kahlan returned with water and a small bowl. He set them beside his wife. Kissed her, then left to skin and prepared the meat. Yanamari observed all of their interactions and began to envy them. Nalah started to work on her legs, and soon enough, the pain was all she could think about. After an hour, the flowers and leaves Nalah had applied to her legs numbed the pain, and she began to feel drowsy. Nalah left her to cook dinner and returned with a bowl of stewed meat an hour later. Kahlan came in behind carrying a pile of furs to use as pillows. Kahlan helped her lean forward and placed some of the skins behind her. Nalah handed her the bowl of stew, and they both left to do their evening chores.

Kahlan took his wife’s hand and pulled her into his chest. “I know this is not what you want, but I admire your heart and willingness to help her.”

“I couldn’t be any other way,” she said with a smile.

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April Thomas “Tell me, what do you think of her?” Nalah questioned.

“I heard many stories of children being stolen and used...” Kahlan said as he let go of his wife. Guilt gripped him as he thought about how he once laughed at helpless children who were kidnapped and tortured by Navah soldiers. He now felt partly responsible for this woman being in that situation.

Nalah observed her husband’s reaction and could tell he felt responsible for her on some level. “We will help her. She will get better...”

“I should be helping more...I need to right the wrongs I did in my past life.” Kahlan replied.

“Right now, you’re a wanted man, and we are taking a huge risk by bringing her here. She could have been followed. Someone from Navah could have followed us here,” Nalah reminded.

Kahlan returned his full attention to his wife and then looked down at her belly. “I won’t let anyone destroy our family. Go and rest. I am going to secure the entrance.”

Nalah took a deep breath, then walked away.

Kahlan knew Nalah was right. He rushed to the entrance of the cave. It was naturally well hidden. But to be sure, he set various traps near the front entrance. He cut down wood and fashioned a door. They had to walk a specific pathway concealed with trees and shrubs to enter or exit the cave. As Kahlan stood outside, re-inspecting his work, he noticed the evening had become darker. This was very unusual for Nirvatra. It brought a chill down his

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Nirvatra spine. The sun had set, and the moon with its stars was out, but it had considerably dimmed. It had grown dark enough that Kahlan was beginning to have trouble seeing what he had worked on.

There was a chill in the air, another odd change for Nirvatra. “What is happening?” he spoke under his breath.

Nalah poked her head out the new door as she laughed but suddenly stopped when she looked out into the darkness. “Kahlan!” she called out to him.

“I’m here,” he said, walking towards her and then taking her hand.

“What’s happening?” she asked as they both looked up at the sky.

“I don’t know...” Kahlan answered.

“It’s getting cold, too,” Nalah said, rubbing her arms briskly.

Kahlan pulled her close to him, warming her with his body. “Have you ever heard your mother speak of things like this?” he asked.

Nalah thought back to the last argument she had had with her parents. The story of the significant change she didn’t want to share with Kahlan out of fear that he would sacrifice himself by returning home in some effort to save her people. “No...Not that I can remember,” she lied.

“If this gets any worse, we will need more skins and fur to survive,” he mentioned.

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April Thomas “Nirvatra has never been cold...Our people...how will they survive the change?” Nalah added.

“The change?” Kahlan questioned, finding her last words peculiar.

Nalah stiffened and pulled away from her husband, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s nothing.”

“What are you not telling me?” he questioned, forcing her to look him in the face.

“It’s nothing,” Nalah repeated, not wanting to tell him what she knew.

“It’s something. Nalah looks at the sky. If you need to share something with me, please do it. This is important.”

Kahlan pleaded with both hands placed on her arms.

Nalah sighed as a tear rolled down her cheek. “When I got home after Eris poisoned you...I returned home. My parents discussed everything and reminded me of an ancient story,” she began.

“Let’s go inside,” Kahlan said, looking around them, cautious of their surroundings.

Nalah nodded, and they both went into their new home. Kahlan firmly closed the door. Reminding himself to make some kind of a lock for added security. “I want you to tell me what your parents talked about, but I just need to clean up first,” he said to Nalah.

“I will tell you all I know, and we will discuss it,” Nalah said, planting a kiss on his lips. “I will be waiting for you in our bed after checking in on our guest.”

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Nirvatra They did as they had both planned, and now they lay in bed as Nalah began to tell the story she was told as a child. “I will tell you the story as it was told to me and the entire village. It begins after the story of the twins.” she began.

“The twins...ah yes, one of the twins became the leader of the Navah. After he and his brother discovered a portal that led to the human realm,” Kahlan confirmed.

“Yes. The brothers came back differently and no longer saw eye to eye.” Nalah added.

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Chapter 23

The Story of Change

Kahlan settled down to hear his wife tell the story of change. As she spoke, visions of what happened played in his mind...

“Those creatures are lost. Their realm has lost what is truly beautiful about this planet. I saw no care, no respect, and no love for each other. Everyone was so self-consumed with themselves and making it to their destinations. And did you see that thing, that horseless carriage they raced around in? That fool ran over a man and kept driving as if he hit nothing!” Sung complained to his brother as they walked back towards their village; Laxy was the oldest twin by twenty minutes. They were not identical twins and did not always see eye to eye.

Laxy listened to his brothers’ rants but did not feel disdain over what they discovered in the human realm.

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Nirvatra “I found it fascinating how they went about their day.

Each of them wore nice skins, and they were very well made. They were productive and focused on reaching their destinations...their goals. It was great. Yet, I agree, that poor man...they didn’t seem to care if he lived or died, but who are we to judge…? Maybe they were just scared.

We can’t judge,” Laxy responded to his brother.

“Well, yes, this is true. We can’t judge,” Sung agreed.

For the next few months, the brother would argue over their differences of opinion concerning the human realm.

Things escalated when Sung discovered his brother had been sneaking back to the human realm and stealing some of their technology, food, clothing, and more. Laxy confided in his brother that he wanted to introduce the things he brought back from the earthly realm to their village.

After a bitter argument erupted into a physical fight, the boy’s father brought them before the spiritual leader of their tribe. The old man peered into their souls, and after a long time, he began to speak. He said, “A separation has begun amongst our people. Laxy has not only carried himself across to the human realm but also taken other tribal members with him. They have developed the hunger and obsession that Laxy is consumed with.”

“What can be done to fix this,” Their father asked.

“It’s too late to fix,” the spiritual leader said.

The father took his sons and scolded them both for fighting. He spoke to both about the importance of their people staying united, but it had no effect on Laxy. When the entire village was asleep, Laxy slipped away unseen

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April Thomas and headed towards the portal that leads to the human realm. Still, before he could reach it, a tall stranger stopped him.

The stranger stood about ten feet in front of Laxy. “I could make things a lot easier for you. Would you be interested?” the stranger spoke in a deep and terrifying voice.

Laxy stood frozen in his spot. Too afraid to speak or run away. He slowly looked to either side of him. This was not a Windigo, the monsters that often terrorized the Nirvatran villages. He appeared to be human-like, yet much taller. “W-who, who are you?” Laxy asked in a shaky tone as his insides quivered with fear.

“I am your new friend if you do as I say. I can give you all that you seek from the human realm,” the stranger replied.

“I-I’m good, thanks,” Laxy said, regaining his strength as he moved past the stranger.

“How long do you think you can go on like this before being caught in the human realm? Do you know what they will do to you?” the stranger said, stopping him in his tracks. “Look at your skin. The humans come in many different shades, but none are blue.”

Laxy looked down at his blue skin and cursed it. The stranger was proper. Eventually, he would get caught, and there was no telling what they would do to him over there. “ “Can you help me?” Laxy asked.

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Nirvatra “I thought you’d never ask.” The stranger smiled with a devilish grin.

Each night Laxy met with the stranger; he was given a special powder to change his skin to look like the humans. The first time it lasted all night. Laxy stole so many things he could not believe it. The next night the stranger gave him the powder again. However, the effects lasted less time than the night before. He complained to the stranger but was told that the powder would not last as long the more he used it. Then the stranger offered him something more, something more powerful.

At first, Laxy refused, realizing he had gotten too deep with his newfound addiction. He decided he would take the powder one more time and promised himself this would be his last time. Instead of the powder lasting him at least three hours, it only lasted an hour. Laxy was caught stealing a man’s electronic device from his back pocket. The police were called, and Laxy began to panic. His skin was starting to change, and people were beginning to notice.

Out of pure desperation, he called out to his friend, the stranger, and instantly he appeared. He grabbed him, and they disappeared and reappeared in Laxy’s realm. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” Laxy expressed.

“I do,” The stranger said with a sly grin.

“How?” Laxy asked.

“I will make you a leader, I will bring you followers, and you will revolt against your people. You will have

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April Thomas all of the gold, silver, and technology your heart desires, but most importantly, power!” the stranger answered.

“How does that help you?” Laxy questioned.

“Don’t concern yourself with me!” the stranger shouted in his face.

The stranger and Laxy continued to speak. Although the stranger knew Sung eaves dropping on their conversation, Laxy had no clue. After Laxy agreed to go along with the stranger’s plans, all he could think about was the power and riches she would soon gain.

Sung confronted his brother threatening to tell the village what he and the stranger were planning. Laxy grew angry, picked up a stone, and crushed his brother’s head with it. He stood over his brother’s lifeless body, surprised by what he had just done. The stranger approached him.

“I am very proud of you; you did a good thing. Your brother would have been trouble for us, but you handle him perfectly.” The stranger smiled.

“I killed my brother,” Laxy wept. “I can’t go back home; I can’t face my parents.”

The stranger grabbed him and swept him away; it would be years before he would ever be seen again.

And he became a cold, heartless man. That same night, their father searched for them only to find his slain son.

He cried out in anguish as he picked up his son and brought him before the spiritual leader to hear his son’s last words.

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Nirvatra The last words spoken by Sung through the spiritual leader were this... “Our people will be separated, and I curse the ones who follow my brother. Should anyone now unite with those of the dark heart? Then all shall be cursed to look as those of the human realm?”

The father wept for the loss of both his sons and his people. The old spiritual leader took Sung’s body away to be prepared for burial. As he carefully worked on his son, a vision came to him. He saw a Nirvatran woman and a man from a new tribe of people descended from the Nirvatran. At the time, no name was known, but eventually, they became known as the Navah. So a man came from these people, and they fell in love and bore a child.

A daughter and her life, her existence bring about a dramatic change for both Nirvatrans and Navahs. Still, what the difference is precise, people have yet to fully knows.

We can only suspect.

Nalah glanced down at her husband, who hung on her every word.

“What did he mean by look like the humans?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I really have no clue what that meant.”

Nalah said as she laughed lightly. “These stories have been handed down for so many years. How do we know they are true?”

“Do you think that couple is us?” Kahlan asked.

“It’s kind of hard to argue. I haven’t heard of anyone else going through what we are going through.” Nalah answered. “But really, I don’t know.” she tried to make light of everything.

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April Thomas “I don’t believe change is bad. The change could be good. And I refuse to believe anything coming from this womb,” Kahlan said, placing a hand on her belly. “Could be bad or bring about anything negative.” he suddenly fell quiet.

“What’s wrong, my love?” Nalah asked.

“What about me? I’m Navah...nothing good comes from there?”

“Miracles happen every day, and you’re just one of them,” Nalah said, then smiled.

He laid back down on the bedding and smiled as he reached out for his wife to join him. “I will do everything I can to protect you and our child.” Kahlan kissed her lips, snuggled close to her, and they fell asleep. ☀ Yanamari lay awake in her bed, annoyed by the sounds of their muffled voices, and she was happy when it finally ceased. She grumbled to herself about her unfortunate accident. She could also tell that seducing Kahlan would take much more work than she had planned. She struggled to sit up and look at her injuries. She had also lost her bag of tricks when she fell off the horse. They had been secured to the horse’s saddle. She had no hope of ever seeing it again. She gazed at her legs; they would never look attractive again, she thought.

She flopped herself back down and struggled to find a

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Nirvatra way to devise a better plan. Playing the victim had almost killed her, and her only look from Kahlan was a pity. Things were not going as she had hoped, and it would take months before she could walk; by then, the effects of the powder would have worn off, and the truth would be revealed.

“I don’t care what I have to do or how long it will take; I will make him mine. The low life will not sit on the throne and take over our kingdom. I will kill her first before she can get the chance,” Yanamari grumbled. If she thinks Kahlan would never leave her or have his way with me, then she is clueless about men, especially Navah men. I’ll turn that blue skin back to its rightful shade of green. Then bring him back home where he belongs.” she continued speaking under her breath. A crooked smile grew across her lips as she remembered a seduction chant. She focused all her energy on Kahlan and began to chant. “Your mind is on me, your eyes on me, soon you’ll have your hands on Me.” she chanted this for over two hours, determined to pull Kahlan’s attention towards her. She was determined to get any attention from him and him alone.

Suddenly there was a light tap on the cave wall, although, inside the cave, the lights from a slow-burning torch were all they had to see. She was happy to see Kahlan’s outline at her doorway. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I just wanted to check on you and ensure you were alright.”

“I need your help?” she said in a soft voice.

“Are you in pain? I can wake my wife...”

“No, no... I need to relieve myself,” she said, appearing embarrassed.

“Okay, I will have to get my wife for that,” Kahlan said, feel-

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April Thomas ing uncomfortable. Then he remembered that his wife was pregnant and did not want to stress her any further.

“Please, you can hold that skin up; I just need help placing the bowl under me.” Yanamari pleaded.

Kahlan saw no other way out but feared his wife finding them in an odd situation. “I will be right back.”

“No!” she cursed under her breath as she watched him quickly disappear.

Minutes later, he returned with Nalah. “I will lift her, and you help her with everything else,” Kahlan told his wife.

Yanamari’s plan backfired again, but this would not deter her from trying again.

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Chapter 24

The Gathering The royal officials of Eris’ kingdom stood in a private room with king Pandu. They were seeking payment and revenge for their princess’ death.

Pandu grew agitated with their demands but did his best to listen patiently and resolve the issue.

“You are demanded to pay one-half of the value of your kingdom. And relinquish your son at once.” the royal official read from a scroll.

“Are you insane? Half the value of my kingdom? That whore wasn’t even worth one brick of this kingdom, and as for my son, you can have him if you can find him; I’m not keeping him from anyone. Your princess poisoned my wife, and I can prove it. Tell that old pimple on a rat’s ass to kill himself if he thinks I will give him half of my kingdom!” Pandu shouted, scaring the

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April Thomas royal official. “We are about to go to war with the Nirvatra; I have no time for his childish tantrums.”

“Yes, your highness,” the royal official said nervously.

“Now leave; I have more important matters to deal with,” Pandu said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Pandu then orders Neb to meet with him privately.

A few minutes later, Neb was standing before Pandu at his desk. “Yes, your highness?” Neb greeted.

“Sit, sit, sit,” Pandu ordered, motioning for him to sit in the seat before his desk.

“How well do you know Yanamari?” Pandu asked.

“Her mother kept her hidden; I have heard rumors of her seduction abilities but have not experienced them personally,” Neb answered.

“And what about this Vanda, That witch?” Pandu continued.

“Again, many rumors, but her son speaks highly of her ability to perform effective witchcraft,” Neb replied.

“We are about to embark on a serious war. We were all once the same people. When we separated... the only reason we succeeded was that the Nirvatrans let it happen. The barrier was created, and we lived separate lives.

The laws that we have can be broken. Suppose that witch crosses over to the Nirvatran side. It will cause a war. Not because of any contract being broken. But because of all we have done to their people, the spiritual warriors will sense it. They will come after us relentlessly...I fear they

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Nirvatra will win,” Pandu sighed as he leaned back in his seat.

“Your highness, there has to be another way.

Give Yanamari a chance; she may be able to bring back your son,” Neb encouraged.

“My son died a very long time ago...I have no son.”

Pandu returned as he looked coldly off into a dark corner of the room. “Now go about your business; I have other matters to attend to,” he said, dismissing him.

Neb stood and walked towards the door but looked back at Pandu, who was still staring into a corner of the room. He left, closing the door behind him. Walked to the end of the hall and then felt as if he were being watched. As he thought back, he had been feeling it for a while. A woman’s laughter broke out behind him, and Vanda appeared. Neb spun around with his sword drawn.

She stepped back and then laughed at him again.

“I heard everything Pandu said,” Vanda smirked as she walked around Neb, who still had his sword drawn. “Oh, please put that thing away. It’s me, you stupid fool.”

“How did you...?”

“As long as I am a guest in this palace, I will gather as much information as I deem necessary,” she replied.

“What are you planning, don’t do anything foolish,” Neb warned.

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April Thomas “I’ll give that little whore a chance to fool herself. And then I will step in to take care of business,” Vanda replied, stepping close enough to press her chest against his and speak directly into his face.

Neb took a significant step back while pushing her back. “Do whatever you want. I’m not your keeper,” he said, then left her standing alone in the hall.

“I’m going to enjoy my time here in the palace,” she whispered as she disappeared. ☀ Kahlan and Nalah settled back down to sleep after helping Yanamari. He turned on his side and gazed at his wife as she fell gently asleep. He thought about all that had transpired since their first meeting. The pure hatred mixed with curiosity turned to admiration and then love. He inhaled and released a deep breath. Words could not express how much he truly loved Nalah. As he drifted to sleep, he began to feel that strange sensation again, the same phenomenon that caused him to check on Yanamari. Something about her was reaching out for him, and he could feel it. However, his heart wanted nothing to do with finding out why.

The more he thought about it, the more he sensed an ominous cloud looming over him concerning Yanamari.

What was her purpose, and why did she come across their path? What did she want from him? He thought.

As he drifted into a deeper sleep, he heard the voice of Dazima speaking to him. It was soft and soothing and chased away the unsettling spirit around him.

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Nirvatra The voice of Dazima spoke...

What gives a person the right to enter into another one’s home and destroy their happiness?

What sets its trap in the forest. And toils with your heart and mind like a cat with a dead mouse?

Keep your eyes open, Kahlan, and your thoughts your own; there is a witch amongst your home.

Kahlan’s eyes shot open, and he sat up straight in bed. He looked around him; sure, he would see Dazima standing nearby. Her voice was clear, and her words still echoed in his ears.

Nalah awoke to sense something was wrong.

“Are you okay, my love?” she asked.

Kahlan turned to her breathlessly and held her. “Just promise me you will always stay by my side, and I will be fine.”

“Of course, my love,” Nalah said, squeezing him tight.

They lay back down, tangling their legs and holding each other tight. Yanamari could hear their muffled voices as they spoke to each other. Jealousy exploded inside of her causing her heart to pump pure venom.

“I will not give up that easily,” Yanamari grumbled. ☀ Maneena looked out at the open sky. Never before had she sensed a dark night? “The change has begun,” she stated, standing beside her husband.

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April Thomas Takka turned to his wife and took her hands. “In a few months, the spiritual warriors will all meet here.”

“In a few months?” she questioned.

“It’s maybe too late by then.”

“It takes the messengers time to run to each village and to speak to the chief,” Takka explained.

“I have to admit. At this time, being open to modern technology from the human realm does not seem wrong,” Maneena sighed.

“We Nirvatrans have our own way of getting things done,” Takka said, then hugged his wife.

“But soon, even that may change,” she said solemnly.

A commotion was heard at the front of the village, and everyone watched as Dazima entered the camp with a hostage bound and gagged. Takka left his wife’s side, joining the other warriors and pointing their weapons at the Navah prisoner.

The Chief stepped forward and signaled the warriors to put down their weapons. “Dazima, what have you brought here?” The Chief asked.

“His name is Ian...and he has sworn to destroy us!” Dazima spoke loudly so that all could hear.

Ian was drenched in sweat. Small pools of blood were all over his back from the whips he had endured. Not surrounded by all these warriors who wanted nothing else but to see him dead,

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Nirvatra Ian was willing to re-think his unwillingness to talk. “I will do it!” he shouted to Dazima.

Dazima turned around and walked towards him. He was on his knees, exhausted from the track through the forest. He was starved for food and tortured by his confusing desire to kiss Dazima’s soft lips. She stooped down to his level and whispered in his ear.

“What will you do?” She teased him, already knowing the answer.

“I will do whatever you want me to do; I will...” he paused, feeling his own betrayal. Dazima had broken him down in ways he had not thought possible.

“Will what?” she shouted, her nose pressing against his cheek.

Ian wanted to do something he had never done before...cry. “I will tell you whatever it is you want to know.” He was not sure if it was the techniques of her torture. He lacked sleep and nourishment, but he did not recognize himself.

Dazima approached the Chief and spoke with him quietly. “When Takka and Nijah approached me about helping them. It was not a question. I captured the arrogant leader of the war party, and I have been doing my best to get information out of him.

It finally came to this. However, that’s how I wanted it. I want you to be present as we learn from him what we deal with when it comes to the Navah.”

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April Thomas “Good work, granddaughter,” The Chief replied, giving her a warm hug. “Place him in my hut. We will speak with him there.”

“Yes, grandfather,” Dazima replied, then turned to two nearby warriors, telling them what to do.

The Chief motioned for Maneena to follow him.

Soon, five strong warriors, Takka, Maneena, Dazima, and the Chief, surrounded Ian. He had been given a small bowl of stew, something to provide him with strength but not enough courage to change his mind.

After finishing his soup, he looked around the room at all the faces staring back at him. Dazima gave him a warning stare, and he began to speak. “I have been a solider for Pandu since I was a teen. I know about the possible upcoming change...I know that it puts everyone in danger.”

“Change is a funny thing. It can mean different things to different people.” Maneena said, stepping forward.

“If Kahlan is not found...if that...woman conceives... it will be bad for all of us. Look at the sky...have you ever seen it so dark. How could that be a good thing?”

Ian said, doing his best to manipulate them into hunting down Kahlan and doing his job for him.

“Change is not always bad?” Dazima replied.

“Does it look like a good change so far?” Ian snapped.

“Ian, we are a people of deep understanding. We will get to the bottom of this first before harming another soul,” the Chief said sternly.

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Nirvatra “That’s the problem with you people... you’re stupid and ignorant. Too busy focused on the unseen of life. We Navah know what’s real. We know what’s important. You will be fooled if you allow Kahlan and his woman to conceive. What she will give birth to will end everything that we know!”

Maneena looked around the hut and towards her husband. She sensed a mixture of truth and lies coming from Ian, but she had difficulty separating fact from lie. “You told us that you would do anything we asked for and tell us whatever we needed to know...but you’re telling lies with truth,” Maneena said towards Ian. “The worst part is what he is hiding from us... what he is not telling us,” Dazima ended.

Ian locked eyes with Dazima...she was right.

There was one thing he did not want to tell them: something he was willing to take to his grave. ☀ The sound of Nalah’s scream tore Kahlan from his peaceful sleep. He sat in their bed and gasped as he looked at his wife. “What happened to you?” he questioned as he breathed heavily.

“Not just me,” she said, taking his arm and lifting it to his face.

“What the...” Kahlan trailed off.

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April Thomas Both he and his wife had utterly lost their skin color. Their eyes had become brown, and their skin tan. They now looked alien in their own realm.

“What is happening to us?” Kahlan blurted out.

“It’s the curse!” Nalah blurted.

“The curse?” Kahlan repeated. “Nalah...this is serious...what if this harms the baby?”

“What if it’s the baby that caused it?” Nalah returned. She stood up and turned her back to her husband to hide the fear on her face.

Kahlan quickly got to his feet and joined his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her back into his chest. His being radiated compassion as his strong hands gently glided over her arms until his hands held hers. “The color of our skin is not a curse.” he began. “I don’t know what all this means, and I don’t know what will happen next. All I do know, all that I am sure of, is how much I love you and the child that we have created. It’s not wrong to fall in love with someone different than you.”

“But, what if our love for each other caused something bad to happen,” Nalah spoke with tears trailing from her eyes.

Kahlan squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek. “I was once a Navah determined to kill you. You changed my perspective on life and love. You showed me that love produces miracles, so now I want to return the favor. Try to look at this differently. Maybe it’s not a

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Nirvatra curse; it’s time for our people to become one again.”

Nalah thought about what Kahlan said, and her mind reflected back on the history of their people. The Navahs had turned a pale green when they separated from the Nirvatran people, who were all blue-skinned.

She had to agree that Kahlan had been on to something. They were pioneers when it came to producing a child. “Do you think the difference in our skin tones canceled each other out as our baby developed?”

“I changed when I came back to life. My skin color changed, so why not? This could all just be a part of it.” Kahlan answered.

“Well, now we have a serious problem... we can’t let anyone see us like this. They will never understand.” Nalah stressed.

“What about Yanamari?” Kahlan asked.

“I don’t trust her,” Nalah said, turning in his embrace.

“Well, we have to do something about her. You and our child’s safety come first.” Kahlan stated as his mind drifted off, thinking about what needed to be done to protect his family. Although; it was a last resort. If he had to kill Yanamari to protect his family, he would.

The End of Book One

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